e 2.--After _c_ or _g_ and before a suffix beginning with _a_ or _o_
the _e_ is retained. The purpose of this retention is to preserve the
soft sound of the _c_ or _g_. (Observe that _c_ and _g_ have the hard
sound in _cable_, _gable_, _cold_, _go_.)

Examples: _peaceable_, _changeable_, _noticeable_, _serviceable_,
_outrageous_, _courageous_, _advantageous_.

Exercise:

1. Write the present participle of the following words: _use_,
_love_, _change_, _judge_, _shake_, _hope_, _shine_, _have_,
_seize_, _slope_, _strike_, _dine_, _come_, _place_, _argue_,
_achieve_, _emerge_, _arrange_, _abide_, _oblige_, _subdue_.

2. Write the present participle of the following words:
_singe_, _tinge_, _dye_, _agree_, _eye_.

3. Write the _-ous_ or _-able_ form of the following words:
_trace_, _love_, _blame_, _move_, _conceive_, _courage_,
_service_, _advantage_, _umbrage_.

4. Write the adjectives which correspond to the following
nouns: _force_, _sphere_, _vice_, _sense_, _fleece_, _college_,
_hygiene_.

5. Write the nouns which correspond to the following verbs:
_please_, _guide_, _grieve_, _arrive_, _oblige_, _prepare_,
_inspire_.

=Plurals=

=77a. Most nouns add _s_ or _es_ to form the plural.= Examples: _word_,
_words_; _fire_, _fires_, _negro_, _negroes_; _Eskimo_, _Eskimos_;
_leaf_, _leaves_ (_f_ changes to _v_ for the sake of euphony); knife,
knives.

=b. Nouns ending in _y_ preceded by a consonant (or by _u_ as _w_) change
the _y_ to _i_ and add _es_ to form the plural.=

Examples: _sky_, _skies_; _lady_, _ladies_; _colloquy_, _colloquies_;
_soliloquy_, _soliloquies_.

=Other nouns ending in _y_ form the plural in the usual way.= Examples:
_day_, _days_; _boy_, _boys_; _monkey_, _monkeys_; _valley_, _valleys_.

=c. Compound nouns usually form the plural by adding _s_ or _es_ to the
principal word.= Examples: _sons-in-law_, _passers-by_; but _stand-bys_,
_hat-boxes_, _writing-desks_.

=d. Letters, signs, and sometimes figures, add _'s_ to form the plural.=
Examples: Cross your t's and dot your i's; ?'s; $'s; 3's or 3s.

=e. A few nouns adhere to old declensions.= Examples: _ox_, _oxen_;
_child_, _children_; _goose_, _geese_; _foot_, _feet_; _mouse_, _mice_;
_man_, _men_; _woman_, _women_; _sheep_, _sheep_; _deer_, _deer_;
_swine_, _swine_.

=f. Words adopted from foreign languages sometimes retain the foreign
plural.= Examp