1. Read the verse for fun and learn the right forms of the nouns. A POEM TO NUMBER We'll begin with a fox and the plural is foxes, But the plural of ox should never be oxes. One fowl is a goose and the plural is geese, But the plural of moose won't be meese. So also for mouse the plural is mice, But for house it's houses — we never say hice. And since the plural of man is always called men, For the plural of pan, why can't we say pen? Then one maybe that and three may be those, Yet rat in the plural is never called rose. And the masculine pronouns are he, his, and him, But imagine the feminine, she, shis, and shim! So English, I fancy, you all will agree, Is the most lawless language you ever did see.

This whimsical poem highlights the quirks and irregularities of English nouns and their plural forms. Here’s a breakdown of the nouns mentioned in the poem along with their correct plural forms:

1. Fox → Foxes
2. Ox → Oxen (not "oxes")
3. Fowl → Geese (singular: goose; plural: geese)
4. Moose → Moose (the plural remains the same)
5. Mouse → Mice (singular: mouse; plural: mice)
6. House → Houses
7. Man → Men (singular: man; plural: men)
8. Pan → Pans (not "pens")
9. Rat → Rats (plural is regular)
10. He → His (masculine pronouns)
11. She → Her (feminine pronouns; “shis” and “shim” mentioned in the poem are not standard)

The poem illustrates how the rules of converting singular nouns into their plural forms are not consistent in English, showcasing a delightful play on language.