WHY ENGLISH IS SO HARD
We’ll begin with a BOX, and the plural is BOXES.
But the plural of OX should be OXEN, not OXES.
Then one fowl is GOOSE, but two are GEESE;
Yet the plural of MOOSE should never be MEESE.
You may found a lone MOUSE, or a whole lot of MICE.
But the plural of HOUSE is HOUSES, not HICE.
If the plural of MAN is always called MEN,
why shouldn’t the plural of PAN be called PEN?
The COW in the plural maybe COWS or KINE,
but the plural of VOW is VOWS, not VINE.
And I speak of a FOOT, and you show me your FEET,
but I give you a BOOT would a pair be called BEET?
If the singular is THIS, and the plural is THESE,
should the plural of KISS be nicknamed KESE?
Then one may be THAT, and three may be THOSE
yet the plural of HAT would never be HOSE.
We speak of a BROTHER, and also of BRETHREN,
but though we say MOTHER, we never say METHREN.
The masculine pronouns are HE, HIS and HIM,
but imagine the feminine SHE, SHIS and SHIM.
So English, I think you will all agree, is the trickiest
language you ever did see.
