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.

[EX Q]: The man could not jump over the wall, but easily hopped over the fence, because the _ was shorter.
[EX A]: fence

[EX Q]: The chocolate could not be sliced with the knife because the _ it too blunt.
[EX A]: knife

[EX Q]: The man tried to cut the branch with the pruning shears but the _ were too dull.
[EX A]:
shears