The most perfect of ruminant animals
This animal is classed among the most perfect of ruminant animals.
In the above sentence, I wonder which can be understood to be implied, given "animal" and "animals", as in "the most perfect (animal/animals) of ruminant animals".
I think it should be "animals" because of the preposition "among", and I'm curious whether the sentence is grammatically correct as to the part "the most perfect of".
Top answer
That "of" is wrong. One animal can be the most perfect of ruminant animals. You can't be among one thing.
- That "of" is wrong.
- One animal can be the most perfect of ruminant animals.
- You can't be among one thing.
- ", the "animal" you are tempted to place after "perfect" is already there in the subject.
- ", "the most perfect" is an adjectival phrase and needs no other noun that the one it applies to, "ruminant animals".
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That "of" is wrong. One animal can be the most perfect of ruminant animals. You can't be among one thing. The writer meant "This animal is classed among the most perfect ruminant animals." In speaking of one animal, "This animal is the most perfect of ruminant animals.", the "animal" you are tempted to place after "perfect" is already there in the subject.
In the corrected sentenc
0Yes, "the most perfect" is implied to be plural. However explicitly including the word "animals", i.e. "This animal is classed among the most perfect animals of ruminant animals", does not feel natural.
fire1I'm curious whether the sentence is grammatically correct as to the part "the most perfect of".
Yes.
0
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