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What is the plural of the word 'Knife'?
A. Knifes
B. Knives
C. Knifs
D. Knive
Correct Answer Is Option = Knives
Notes / Explanation
The plural of the word knife is knives, and this is another example of the special rule for forming the plurals of certain English words, a topic that is important for anyone studying English for competitive examinations. In English, most nouns form their plural in a regular way by adding a standard ending to the singular form, but there is a group of words ending in a particular sound for which the plural is formed by changing that final sound and then adding the ending. The word knife belongs to this group, so that its plural is formed not simply by adding the usual ending but by changing the final sound of the word before adding the ending, so that the single form knife becomes the plural form knives. This same rule applies to a number of other English words that end in the same kind of sound, so that, for example, the word wife becomes wives, the word life becomes lives, the word half becomes halves, the word wolf becomes wolves, and the word leaf becomes leaves, all following the same pattern. A knife is a tool or implement with a sharp blade used for cutting, and it is an everyday object, so that the plural form knives is a familiar and frequently used word. It is important to remember that not every word ending in this kind of sound follows this rule, since there are some exceptions that simply add the usual ending, and so the words that follow the special rule need to be learnt individually. The word knife is one of the clearest and most common examples of the rule and is often used to illustrate it, together with related words such as wife and life. A common mistake among those learning English is to apply the ordinary rule and produce an incorrect form such as knifes instead of knives, and avoiding such errors is an important part of using the language correctly. Learning the special rules for forming plurals, together with their examples and exceptions, is an important part of mastering English grammar. For PPSC and other competitive examinations, the key points to remember are that the plural of knife is knives, that this is formed by changing the final sound of the word before adding the plural ending, that other words ending in the same kind of sound follow the same rule, such as wife becoming wives and life becoming lives, and that this special rule must be learnt because it does not simply add the usual ending.
