In this spelling based English question, four versions of the plural of “analogue” are given; select the correctly spelt word.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: analogues

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Spelling questions test careful observation and familiarity with standard English forms. In this item, the learner needs to choose the correct plural form of the noun analogue, which is often used in electronics, physics, or comparisons such as digital versus analogue systems. Accurate spelling is important in exams, professional writing, and technical communication, where a small error can make a word look informal or incorrect.


Given Data / Assumptions:
The important points are as follows:

  • The base word is analogue, a noun that can be used in both general and technical contexts.
  • Four possible plural spellings are listed: analoges, analogese, analogues, and analoguese.
  • The question asks for the correctly spelt word, not the most common in a particular region.
  • We assume standard British English spelling, where analogue with ue is common.


Concept / Approach:
In standard British English, the singular form is analogue and the plural form is analogues. The plural is formed by simply adding s to the singular, without changing the internal letters. The versions analogese and analoguese are not standard English words, and analoges omits the final ue pattern seen in analogue. Therefore, the approach is to identify which option preserves the original spelling of the base word and adds only the correct plural ending s.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the correct singular spelling: analogue. Step 2: Think about the normal plural rule for nouns that end with ue, which is usually to add s without other change. Step 3: Examine option c, analogues. This is analogue plus s, which follows the regular rule and keeps the base spelling intact. Step 4: Look at option a, analoges, which drops the ue and therefore changes the spelling of the base word. Step 5: Consider option b, analogese, which adds extra letters and does not match any standard plural formation. Step 6: Consider option d, analoguese, which again adds unnecessary letters and is not recognised as correct. Step 7: Conclude that analogues is the only correct spelling among the options.


Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by checking how similar nouns behave. For instance, catalogue becomes catalogues in the plural in British spelling. Both analogue and catalogue share the ue ending and take a simple s for plural. This pattern supports the correctness of analogues. Furthermore, the other options introduce unusual endings like ese or change the root spelling, which is not typical for simple plural formation in English.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a, analoges, is wrong because it removes part of the base spelling analogue and does not follow the regular plural rule. Option b, analogese, is incorrect since ese is not a standard plural marker here and produces a non existent word. Option d, analoguese, is also incorrect because it adds extra letters, again breaking standard spelling conventions. None of these match the expected pattern of forming plural nouns from analogue.


Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes rely on how a word sounds and may believe that letters at the end can be dropped or replaced. Another pitfall is overthinking and assuming that a more complex ending such as ese might be correct because it looks sophisticated. In spelling questions, it is safer to base decisions on known patterns and on preserving the exact form of the base word before adding regular plural markers like s or es.


Final Answer:
The correctly spelt plural of analogue is analogues.

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