Meaning & use
Galapagos Islands
Last updated
Meaning
proper nounplural
A group of volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of Ecuador, famous for unique wildlife studied by Charles Darwin.
Grammar: Always used with 'the' and a plural verb: The Galapagos Islands are...
Patterns
- the Galapagos Islands
- visit the Galapagos Islands
- in the Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands are home to giant tortoises found nowhere else on Earth.
Scientists travel to the Galapagos Islands to study how species evolve.
Tourists must follow strict rules when visiting the Galapagos Islands.
Common combinations
- the Galapagos Islands
- The Galapagos Islands lie about 1,000 kilometers off the coast of Ecuador.
- visit the Galapagos Islands
- They saved for years to visit the Galapagos Islands.
- wildlife of the Galapagos Islands
- The wildlife of the Galapagos Islands inspired Darwin's ideas about evolution.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Galapagos
- A shorter, informal way to refer to the same islands; it is common in news and travel writing.
Commonly confused: Galapagos Islands or Galápagos?
Galapagos Islands vs Galápagos
The Spanish spelling with an accent on the first 'a'; English usually drops the accent.
Practice
Which sentence uses the Galapagos Islands correctly?
Choose one answer.
The Galapagos Islands are a group of islands, so they take a plural verb and usually 'the'. Option 1 is wrong because it is not a country. Option 2 is missing 'the' and uses a singular verb. Option 4 is wrong because they are in the Pacific, not the Atlantic.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Galapagos Islands”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.