nature documentary

Meaning

A 'nature documentary' is a non-fiction film or television program about animals, plants, or other non-human natural environments. They are often educational, featuring high-quality footage of wildlife and narrated by a distinctive voice to explain natural behaviors and ecosystems.

Examples

• We sat down to watch a nature documentary about deep-sea creatures.

  We sat down to watch a nature documentary about deep-sea creatures.

• His soothing voice makes him the perfect narrator for a nature documentary.

  His soothing voice makes him the perfect narrator for a nature documentary.

• The cinematography in modern nature documentaries is absolutely breathtaking.

  The cinematography in modern nature documentaries is absolutely breathtaking.

• I learned so much about African lions from that nature documentary last night.

  I learned so much about African lions from that nature documentary last night.

• They spent three years in the rainforest filming footage for the new nature documentary.

  They spent three years in the rainforest filming footage for the new nature documentary.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I enjoy watching natural documentaries.

  ✓ I enjoy watching nature documentaries.

  'Natural' describes something not artificial. 'Nature' is the noun adjunct used to specify the genre of the documentary.

• ✗ We watched a documentary of nature.

  ✓ We watched a nature documentary.

  While grammatically possible, 'documentary of nature' sounds stilted. 'Nature documentary' is the standard compound noun.

Related Expressions

Practice

• David Attenborough is famous for narrating many a groundbreaking ___.

  💡 A film focusing on wildlife and ecosystems.

  Show answer

  nature documentary

• If you want to relax, put on a ___ about the rainforest.

  💡 A non-fiction film about the natural world.

  Show answer

  nature documentary