You need to answer a given question containing a blank (_). Your answer must be one of the two objects mentioned in the question, for example "trophy" and "suitcase". Your answer must not contain a word that is not present in the question. Please don't use articles (e.g., the, a) before the answer.

[Q]: The scraper could easily remove the paint that had been sitting there for years, as the _ was so fragile.
[A]: paint


[Q]: I selected the hammer instead of the mallet as my tool choice since the _ is heavier and I'm out of shape.
[A]: mallet


[Q]: As his hair was very tough, he discarded the clippers and used scissors, as the _ were effective.
[A]:
scissors