Question

Form the plural noun of the word: half
a)Halve
b)Halves
c)Halfs
d)Halfes

Answer 1

Hint: For singular nouns ending with -f, -lf, -fe , when changing to plural form a suffix is added by removing the -f, -lf, -fe.

Complete step by step answer:
To change the singular noun ‘half’ into its plural noun form the rule for nouns ending with -f, -ef, -lf is used, i.e. suffix -ves is added by removing them. For e.g. plural of knife would be knife + -ves, i.e. Knives. So, the plural for the noun knife would be knife + -ves i.e. knives. Therefore, the correct answer is b halves.
Option a halve refers to a thing divided into two equal parts of roughly equal size. Two halves make one, so halve is not the plural of half. Thus, option a is incorrect.
Option c halfs is incorrect as -f must be replaced by -ve before adding an -s towards the end.
Option d halfs is again incorrect as -es is added as suffix instead of -ves. There are no such words as halfs and halfes in the English language.


Note: Do not get confused between halves and halve. Halve is singular and is something divided in two parts of roughly equal size, while half refers to either of those two parts.