When do you use fishes?
Moderator: EC
-
- Member
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2021 5:33 am
- Status: Teacher of English
When do you use fishes?
or [c] often seems a big problem to English learners as a foreign laguage.
-
- Rising Star
- Posts: 83
- Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:42 am
- Status: Teacher of English
- Location: Oxford, UK
Re: When do you use fishes?
In modern English, the usual plural form is 'fish'. However, 'fishes' is sometimes used meaning 'different species of fish'.
For example, sentence 1 below is clear, but sentence 2 is ambiguous or confusing.
1) More than 600 fishes are in danger of extinction.
2) More than 600 fish are in danger of extinction.
For example, sentence 1 below is clear, but sentence 2 is ambiguous or confusing.
1) More than 600 fishes are in danger of extinction.
2) More than 600 fish are in danger of extinction.