Question

Identify the singular form of the noun: knives

a. knive
b. knife
c. kniv
d. none of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Only one option out of the given options is grammatically correct. Usually to convert a noun from plural to singular, you need to remove the existing suffix, and add an appropriate suffix.

Complete answer:
In order to convert a noun from singular to plural, we need to add a suffix to the singular noun. Usually it is a simple ‘-s’ at the end. However, there are many words that follow a particular pattern, and always end and start with the same suffixes.
Look at the following rules:
-To make regular nouns plural, just add ‘-s’ to the end. e.g. cat - cats.
-For nouns that end in ‘‑s’, ‘-ss', ‘-sh’, ‘-ch’, ‘-x’, or ‘-z’, add ‘‑es’ to the end to make it plural. e.g. tax - taxes; bus - buses.
-Singular nouns ending in ‘-s’ or ‘-z’, require that you double the ‘-s’ or ‘-z’ prior to adding the ‘-es’ for pluralisation. e.g. gas - gasses.
-For nouns ending in ‘-f’ or ‘-fe’, the ending is changed to ‘-ves’. This also helps in pronunciation. e.g. shelf - shelves.

However, there are many exceptions to the given rules. The only way to guess the plurals correctly would be to memorise them.

The given word ends in ‘-ves’. So, we can reverse engineer the singular noun. It will end in ‘f’ or ‘fe’, according to the fourth rule. So, the answer would be ‘knife’. Hence, the correct answer is option ‘b’.

Note: Look at each option carefully. Make sure the option you choose is grammatically correct and can be used in a sentence.