Basic English - Rules

Rules

Also see Basic English ordered wordlist from Simple English Wikipedia.

The word use of Basic English is similar to full English, but the rules are much simpler, and there are fewer exceptions. Not all meanings of each word are allowed.

Ogden's rules of grammar for Basic English help people use the 850 words to talk about things and events in a normal way.

  1. Make plurals with an "S" on the end of the word. If there are special ways to make a plural word, such as "ES" and "IES", use them.
  2. There are two word endings to change each of the 150 adjectives: "-ER" and "-EST".
  3. There are two word endings to change the verb word endings, "-ING" and "-ED".
  4. Make adverbs from qualifiers by adding "-LY".
  5. Talk about amounts with "MORE" and "MOST." Use and know "-ER" and "-EST."
  6. Make opposite adjectives with "UN-"
  7. Make questions with the opposite word order, and with "DO".
  8. Operators and pronouns conjugate as in normal English.
  9. Make combined words (compounds) from two nouns (for example "milkman") or a noun and a directive (sundown).
  10. Measures, numbers, money, days, months, years, clock time, and international words are in English forms, e.g. Date/Time: 20 May 1972 at 21:00
  11. Use the words of an industry or science. For example, in this grammar, some special words are for teaching languages, and not part of Basic English: plural, conjugate, noun, adjective, adverb, qualifier, operator, pronoun, and directive.

Read more about this topic:  Basic English

Famous quotes containing the word rules:

    “Here was a place where nothing was crystallized. There were no traditions, no customs, no college songs .... There were no rules and regulations. All would have to be thought of, planned, built up, created—what a magnificent opportunity!”
    —Mabel Smith Douglass (1877–1933)

    “Never invite to dinner: those who won’t decide until the last minute; those who come more than half an hour late; those who want to bring along two or three friends; drunks; monologists; those who stay until three o’clock in the morning; those who think that conversation means having an argument; those who take a high moral tone; those who are stupid, ugly, or dull. Enforcement of these rules will enable one to eat alone every night in comfort.”
    —Mason Cooley (b. 1927)

    “Rules and particular inferences alike are justified by being brought into agreement with each other. A rule is amended if it yields an inference we are unwilling to accept; an inference is rejected if it violates a rule we are unwilling to amend. The process of justification is the delicate one of making mutual adjustments between rules and accepted inferences; and in the agreement achieved lies the only justification needed for either.”
    —Nelson Goodman (b. 1906)