Choose the plural form of the words given in the brackets: ..............(ox) and ............. (goose) are animals.

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 2:
The English language features both regular and irregular plural nouns. For the word "ox," the standard plural form is not created by simply adding '-s' or '-es' (as in *oxes* or *oxess*), but by using the archaic plural ending '-en,' which results in **oxen**. Similarly, the word "goose" is an example of a noun that forms its plural through a vowel change within the word, known as mutation. The plural form of "goose" is **geese**, changing the double 'o' to double 'e'. Therefore, the grammatically correct plural forms required to complete the sentence are "Oxen, geese," making Option 2 the correct choice.

The incorrect option is 1 (Oxess, geese): "Oxess" is not a valid plural form in English for the noun "ox." The irregular plural form is "oxen," and this option incorrectly uses an invented plural suffix.
The incorrect option is 3 (Oxen, goose): While "Oxen" is the correct plural form of "ox," "goose" is the singular form. To correctly complete the sentence using the plural for both animals, "goose" must be changed to "geese."
The incorrect option is 4 (Oxes, goose): "Oxes" is an incorrect plural form, as the proper irregular plural for "ox" is "oxen." Additionally, "goose" is the singular form, whereas the plural "geese" is required to match the plural context of the sentence.