Home › Forums › General discussion on teaching English › Definite article
      TeachingEnglish
      Definite article
      Submitted by camelia75 on 28 September, 2011 - 18:42

      Hello, my colleagues!

       

      I have some problems with the following sentence.

      My favourite wild animal is the fox or My favourite wild animal is fox.

      If we change word worder it is right to say Fox is my favourite animal.

      So which one is right and why?

       

      Thank you!

      Camelia

      ‹ English teachers - help needed! M.A. thesis on speech acts ›

      Tag
      aggef's picture
      aggef
      definite article
      Submitted on 3 October, 2011 - 20:38

      My favourite wild animal is the fox is correct

      or My favourite wild animal is the fox.

      If we change word worder it is right to say Fox is my favourite animal. No, you must put the before fox

      So which one is right and why? explained here quite nicely :

      http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/english-as-a-second-language/defin...

       

      good luck

      berberiegla's picture
      berberiegla
      "My favourite wild animal is
      Submitted on 15 October, 2011 - 10:14

      "My favourite wild animal is the fox.” is correct but in another word order you must say” The fox is my favourite wild animal".


      You have to use the definite article the, because you are talking about a particular kind of wild animals, so the using of the doesn’t mean a particular thing but a particular type of things.

      Heath's picture
      Heath
      the or s
      Submitted on 24 October, 2011 - 03:27

      Correct *

      • My favourite wild animal is the fox.
      • The fox is my favouriate wild animal.
      • My favourite wild animals are foxes.
      • Foxes are my favourite wild animals.

       

      Incorrect *

      • My favourite wild animal is fox.
      • Fox is my favourite wild animal.

       

      (* In standard "inner circle" Englishes, that is).