Collective nouns
Collective nouns
Learn words that describe whole groups of people, animals or things in a single word. Find out how to treat words like "team" or "family" and when they require a singular verb.
WHAT ARE COLLECTIVE NOUNS?
Collective nouns are nouns that mean a group of people, animals or things as one whole.
➡️ One word = many elements together
🔹 Although they talk about a group, they are most often in singular!
How do we create?
There is no single ending or rule - it's just that ready words, which denote a group. You need to learn them as separate words.
The most common examples of collective nouns
👨👩👧👦 People
| Collective noun | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| family | family | My family is big. |
| team | team | The team plays well. |
| class | class (students) | The class is very quiet. |
| group | group | A group of tourists is here. |
| crew | crew | The crew is ready. |
| staff | staff | The staff works hard. |
🐑 Animals
| Collective noun | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| herd | herd (cows, deer) | A herd of cows is in the field. |
| flock | flock (of sheep, birds) | A flock of birds flies together. |
| pack | pack (of wolves, dogs) | A pack of wolves is hunting. |
| swarm | swarm (of bees) | A swarm of bees is near the tree. |
| school | shoal (of fish) | A school of fish swims fast. |
🧺 Things (Things)
| Collective noun | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| bunch. bunch | bunch (e.g. bananas) | A bunch of bananas is on the table. |
| set | set | A set of keys is missing. |
| saw | stack (e.g. of papers) | A pile of books is on the desk. |
| collection | collection | Her collection of stamps is amazing. |
| stack | stack (e.g. boxes) | A stack of boxes fell down. |
IMPORTANT! Singular or plural?
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In British English (BrE) you can use:
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single: The team is winning.
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or plural: The team are wearing new shirts.
(if you are thinking about people in a group)
-
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In American English (AmE) usually just:
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single form: The team is winning.
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➡️ Collective nouns → we use a singular verb.
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