Competitive inhibitors alter the shape of the enzyme:

Answer

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Enzyme Inhibition**:
- Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in the body. They have specific sites where substrates bind to form products.

2. **Types of Inhibitors**:
- There are two main types of enzyme inhibitors: competitive inhibitors and non-competitive inhibitors.
- **Competitive Inhibitors**: These bind to the active site of the enzyme, which is the same site where the substrate binds. By occupying this site, they prevent the substrate from attaching, thereby inhibiting the reaction.
- **Non-Competitive Inhibitors**: These bind to a different site on the enzyme, not the active site. This binding alters the enzyme's shape, affecting its function without blocking the substrate from binding.

3. **Analyzing the Statement**:
- The statement in the question is: "Competitive inhibitors alter the shape of the enzyme."
- Since competitive inhibitors bind to the active site and do not change the shape of the enzyme itself, this statement is incorrect.

4. **Conclusion**:
- The correct understanding is that competitive inhibitors do not alter the shape of the enzyme; they simply prevent the substrate from binding. It is the non-competitive inhibitors that alter the shape of the enzyme.

5. **Final Answer**:
- The statement "Competitive inhibitors alter the shape of the enzyme" is **false**.