The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct sentence is:
Blocking this exit puts lives at risk.
Explanation
The error in the sign is a common grammatical mistake involving the pluralization of the noun “life.” The word “lifes” is incorrect in this context and should be “lives.”
The rule in English for forming the plural of many nouns that end in “-f” or “-fe” is to change the ending to “-ves.” The noun “life” follows this pattern. Just as “wife” becomes “wives” and “knife” becomes “knives,” the plural of “life” is “lives.” The sign intends to warn that the lives of multiple people would be endangered, which requires this plural form.
While “lifes” can technically be a word, it is the third-person singular present tense of the verb “to life,” an archaic and rarely used verb meaning to give life to something. For example, one might find “he lifes the party” in very old texts, but in modern English, we would say “he brings life to the party” or “he lives.” In the context of the sign’s sentence, “puts lifes at risk,” the word following “puts” must be a noun, acting as the object of the verb. The verb “lifes” does not fit grammatically or logically.
The word “lives” (pronounced with a long “i” sound) is also the third-person singular form of the verb “to live,” as in “He lives in the city.” However, when used as the plural noun for “life,” it is pronounced with a short “i” sound (rhyming with “gives”). The context of the sentence “puts lives at risk” makes it clear that the plural noun is intended. Therefore, correcting “lifes” to “lives” makes the warning both grammatically sound and clear in its urgent meaning.
