Which of the following word is incorrectly formed in plural ?

Question

Accepted Answer

Option 4, "Calfes," is incorrectly formed in plural. The correct plural form of "calf" is "calves." In English, nouns ending in "f" or "fe" often change to "ves" in the plural form. This is a common rule for words like "calf," "leaf," and "wolf," which become "calves," "leaves," and "wolves," respectively. Therefore, "calfes" is incorrect because it does not follow this rule.

Now, let's examine why the other options are correct:

1. **Thieves**: The word "thief" follows the same rule as "calf." The plural form is "thieves," where the "f" changes to "ves." This is the correct plural form.

2. **Cargoes**: The word "cargo" can be pluralized as either "cargoes" or "cargos." Both forms are accepted in English, but "cargoes" is a traditional and widely accepted plural form. Therefore, it is correctly formed.

3. **Matches**: The word "match" follows the standard rule for forming plurals by adding "es" to words ending in "ch," "sh," "s," "x," or "z." Thus, "matches" is the correct plural form.

In conclusion, Option 4, "Calfes," is the only option that is incorrectly formed in plural, as it should be "calves." The other options are correctly formed according to standard English pluralization rules.