Welcome to
ESL Printables, the website where English Language teachers exchange resources: worksheets, lesson plans,  activities, etc.
Our collection is growing every day with the help of many teachers. If you want to download you have to send your own contributions.

 


 

 

 

ESL Forum:

Techniques and methods in Language Teaching

Games, activities and teaching ideas

Grammar and Linguistics

Teaching material

Concerning worksheets

Concerning powerpoints

Concerning online exercises

Make suggestions, report errors

Ask for help

Message board

 

ESL forum > Ask for help > animal kingdom vs animals kingdom    

animal kingdom vs animals kingdom



Ruwayda37
Egypt

animal kingdom vs animals kingdom
 
Good morning fellow teachers, I need your help find out the correct form: animal Kingdom or animals Kingdom. I also need to know the name of the grammatical rule that determines the answer to my question. Thanks for your help.

7 Sep 2014      





niksailor
Russian Federation

Hello!!
In my opinion, both of them have the right to exist in English FROM THE GRAMMATICAL POINT OF VIEW. The matter is that the words "animal" or its plural form "animals" are definitions for the word "kingdom". English grammar says that one noun can be a definition for another noun, forming a word expression. Besides, there can be a plural noun which is a definition to another noun, as far as I know, grammar doesn �t forbid such use (we can come that across in scientific articles, for example). So, you can say "animal / animals kingdom" in your spoken language.
Though, "animal kingdom" is a biological term and personally I have never faced "animals kingdom". Being used in special language of science, "animal kingdom" is like a term and, thus, cannot be changed.
I wonder what native speakers will say, �cause I �m not one :)
Still, hope my explanation has sense :))
Best regards

7 Sep 2014     



cunliffe
United Kingdom

Animal kingdom. 
To add to niksailor �s answer: I �m not a grammarian, but it looks to me as if that noun animal is acting as an adjective and that is why it should be singular. Another example may be �the human world, � �the kangaroo enclosure � etc.

Animals kingdom would be animals � kingdom and is of course, acceptable, though the meaning is different..  

7 Sep 2014     



Peter Hardy
Australia

It �s animal kingdom, and not animalS kingdom. Cunliff was right stating it �s a noun used as an adjective. We talk about basketball players and not about basketballS players.  (I know, Lynn �s examples were better  Big smile)  Cheers, Peter

7 Sep 2014