Which animal / animals

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Which animal / animals
Message from sabrina1011 posted on 25-06-2013 at 16:41:16 (D | E | F)
Hello,

Can you help me please? I have got a question about WHICH?
Here are the sentences..
Which animal do you like, rabbits or dogs?
Which animals do you like, rabbits or dogs?
Which animal do you like, a rabbit or a dog?
Which sentence is correct?
if they are all correct, what is the difference between them?
Thank you so much!
Sabrina

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Edited by lucile83 on 25-06-2013 16:50

Re: Which animal / animals from notrepere, posted on 25-06-2013 at 18:35:15 (D | E)
Hello

What do you think and why?

Re: Which animal / animals from sabrina1011, posted on 26-06-2013 at 15:37:58 (D | E)
Hello,

I think, they are all correct, and maybe the meaning is the same..
but "Which" should follow with a singular noun. If I write the sentence with “ rabbits or dogs”. I should write “ Which animals do you like, rabbits or dogs?”
I am kind of confusion. That sounds the ideas are not coherent…
Could you explain to me? Thank you very much!
Sabrina

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Edited by lucile83 on 26-06-2013 22:16

Re: Which animal / animals from violet91, posted on 26-06-2013 at 19:31:52 (D | E)
Hello,
Don't worry , Sabrina . You are putting a question with a simple present , which means a general liking for animals . Therefore, you' ll have everything in the plural : that will be correct . You start with ' Which animals ( we can imagine the whole lot), then, you select two different sorts : rabbits or dogs ? ( only two ,suggested ) . There is nothing incoherent in your propositions ( don't judge yourself so harshly ) : we are here to help . Your two other sentences are a bit strange and not proper , that is all .
Still , if you were in a petshop offered to choose an animal as a gift , you would hear ( conditional ) - Sabrina , which animal would you like : a rabbit or a dog ? -- Or which one do you prefer : the rabbit or the dog ( you would be in front of each kind ( after a pre- selection ) ?
Am I clear enough ? I hope so .

Re: Which animal / animals from notrepere, posted on 27-06-2013 at 04:33:59 (D | E)
Hello

All three are correct. I don't find much difference between the first two questions which deal with animal as a collective noun (singular noun can refer to a group). The second implies that we are looking at a bunch of animals of both kinds and we have to choose. The third asks us to choose between two single animals.

Which animal do you like, rabbits or dogs? = If you had to choose one group of animals between rabbits or dogs, which would you choose? (Animal is a collective noun)
Which animals do you like, rabbits or dogs? = If you had to choose between animals: rabbits and dogs, which would you choose? (Animals are taken as a group)
Which animal do you like, a rabbit or a dog? = If you had to choose between a rabbit and a dog, which one would you choose?

Re: Which animal / animals from sabrina1011, posted on 27-06-2013 at 17:54:54 (D | E)
I am thinking of the issue of general speaking now.
when we are talking the things in general. we always use plural nouns. so we list the choices with plural.
so, when we ask " which animal do you like, rabbits or dogs? "
means " What kind of animal do you like? and the choices is from the list.
when we say " Which animals do you like, rabbits or dogs?" we are talking in general, so we use plural.
“Which animal do you like, a rabbit or a dog? = If you had to choose between a rabbit and a dog, which one would you choose? “
And combine Violet’s idea. “if you were in a pet shop offered to choose an animal as a gift”, I can say “ Which animal do you like, a rabbit or a dog?”
Is my idea correct?
Because I am an English teacher now, and I have been teaching only for 1 year. So I need some help with my grammar things. And I will be this website asking questions frequently. And I am so happy to find the website for help. Hopefully, I could always hear from your explanation. Thank you, both of you, notrepere and violet.
Sabrina ^-^

Re: Which animal / animals from hushpuppy, posted on 27-06-2013 at 18:09:16 (D | E)
Hello Sabrina,
I agree completely with violet, this is how I would use each phrase.
Have a great day !

Re: Which animal / animals from violet91, posted on 27-06-2013 at 18:16:23 (D | E)
Ah ! Thank you , too !

Re: Which animal / animals from sabrina1011, posted on 28-06-2013 at 11:10:41 (D | E)
thank you all! Sabrina ^-^

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