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Liveinjapan Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

The giraffe is the tallest ...

0Hi, everyone. We usually use plural form when saying our preference like 'I like animals.' But when we say what kind of animal is the tallest in the world, we say like this: 'The giraffe is the tallest of all animals'. My grammar book says that the giraffe = one particular type of animal, not one particular giraffe. I understand.02br
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00We can never say the following sentence, can we? 02br
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00'Giraffes are the tallest of all animals.'02br
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00 or 02br
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00'Giraffes are the tallest animals in the world.'02br
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00Thanks.02br
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00LiJ0-
  

Top answer

0Yes, we can. 0-

— Conchita57

  • 0Yes, we can.
  • 0-
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8 Answers
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0Yes, we can. Either 'the' + singular noun or a plural noun without article can represent a class of animals or things.0-
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0Thak you Conchita.05002br
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00Could you please tell me which form is commonly used ?02br
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00LiJ010id1
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0Both forms are commonly used, as far as I know. Personally, I'd choose the plural noun, which, come to think of it, might be a bit more usual.0-
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0Thak you very much05000 Conchita05102br
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00LiJ010id111id1
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0 As a native speaker I would always use the singular. To me using the plural in this context sounds infantile.0-
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Bokeh12cite10As a native speaker I would always use the singular. To me using the plural in this context sounds infantile.12br
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10Funny, isn't it, how different speakers can have different perceptions of a language!0-
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0 This is known as a 01i00representative singular02i00: the definite article + the singular of a noun with a countable concept used to cannote the whole of a kind or class in question. For example: 01i00the pen is mightier than the sword.02i0-
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0'A representative singular' It's good to know. Thanks Bokeh.02br
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00LiJ0-
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