CONTENT
Collective nouns are singular words that refer to a group or collection of people, animals, or things. Grammar may vary depending on the spelling you use, so let's take a closer look at how to use collective nouns correctly.
Example
Explanation
I have a daily meeting with my team at 9 o'clock.
Team is a collective noun that refers to all members who are part of this collective group
Collective Nouns in British English
In British English, we can conjugate the verb in either the singular or the plural form when used with collective nouns
Rule 1: We use the verb in the singular form if the emphasis is on the unit (in impersonal expressions).
Example
Explanation
The band is playing at the bar tonight.
The band is a unit.
Rule 2: We use the verb in the plural form if the emphasis is on the individual members of this group.
Example
Explanation
Our fan group have decided to go to the concert.
Here, we put an emphasis on the fact that individual members of the group have decided.
Note: A collective noun police is always used with the verb in the plural form.
English
English
Police have interrogated the suspects.
Police is a collective noun always used in the plural form.
Collective Nouns in American English
Rule 3: We almost always use collective nouns with the verb in the singular form in American English. However, we can use a plural subject pronoun to replace the noun followed by a plural verb.
Example
Explanation
The band was playing very well tonight. They are going on tour next month.
We can replace a collective noun band with a plural subject pronoun they to use the verb in the plural form.
Note: If we want to put the emphasis on the individual members of the group, we have to mention them in some way.
Example
Explanation
All the members of our fan group are having a great time at the concert.
To emphasize the individual members of a fan group, we mentioned them in the beginning of the sentence.
Quantifying Expressions
Rule 4: We use quantifying expressions for particular groups of animals, people, or things. These expressions are formulated with a collective noun + of + plural noun.
Here are the most common collective nouns and quantifying expressions in English:
Animals
| Collective Noun | Example |
|---|---|
| a flock | a flock of seagulls |
| a pack | a pack of wolves |
| a swarm | a swarm of bees |
| Collective Noun | Example |
|---|---|
| a flock | a flock of seagulls |
| a pack | a pack of wolves |
| a swarm | a swarm of bees |
People
| Collective Noun | Example |
|---|---|
| a board | a board of investors |
| a gang | a gang of thieves |
| a panel | a panel of judges |
| Collective Noun | Example |
|---|---|
| a board | a board of investors |
| a gang | a gang of thieves |
| a panel | a panel of judges |
Other Things
| Collective Noun | Example |
|---|---|
| a bunch | a bunch of flowers |
| a fleet | a fleet of cars |
| a pile | a pile of papers |
| Collective Noun | Example |
|---|---|
| a bunch | a bunch of flowers |
| a fleet | a fleet of cars |
| a pile | a pile of papers |
Quiz
1/4
Choose a correct collective noun. There are 15 pupils in my ___.
0
correct answers.