Meaning & use
a forest ranger
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A person whose job is to look after a forest, protect it, and help visitors.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a' or 'the' and add 's' for the plural: two forest rangers.
Patterns
- work as a forest ranger
- a forest ranger in something
- ask a forest ranger
The forest ranger showed us the safest trail through the woods.
She works as a forest ranger in the national park.
A forest ranger stopped the campers from lighting a fire.
Word forms
| plural | forest rangers |
|---|
Common combinations
- national park ranger
- The national park ranger gave a talk about local wildlife.
- forest ranger station
- We asked for directions at the forest ranger station.
- work as a forest ranger
- He wants to work as a forest ranger after college.
- forest ranger patrol
- The forest ranger patrol checks the area for fires.
Synonyms and how they differ
- park ranger
- A park ranger usually works in a national park or protected area, while a forest ranger focuses on woodland.
- warden
- 'Warden' is a broader term for someone who guards a place or people, not only forests.
- conservation officer
- A conservation officer may work to protect many kinds of environments, not just forests.
Word family
Commonly confused: a forest ranger or forest ranger?
a forest ranger vs forest ranger
Some learners confuse 'ranger' with 'stranger'; a ranger protects a place, while a stranger is someone you do not know.
Practice
My cousin works ___ a forest ranger in Canada.
Choose one answer.
We use 'work as' before a job title: 'works as a forest ranger'. 'Work for' would need the name of an organization, not a job.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a forest ranger”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.