Collective Nouns, Subject-Verb Agreement, Common Used Collective Nouns, etc… Please follow the list for detailed expressions, lists and examples;
What is Collective Noun?
Collective noun is a noun which describes a group of things oe people. It means collective noun is a single noun that is made up of more than one thing or person or etc.
For examples: family, group, herd, team.
Collective Noun Singular or Plural?
Generally, we can say that collective nouns can be singular or plural. It depends on the context of the sentence.
- If the members of a group act together as a unit or a whole, we use a singular verb.
( we can also say that if we or speakers want to emphasize the group as a whole, we use singular verb in this situation.
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- If the members of a group stop acting together as a unit or a whole and act as individuals, it is better to use a plural verb.
( we can also say that if we or speakers want to emphasize the individuals in a group rather than regarding the group as a whole, we use plural verb in this situation)
ATTENTION:
If you are not sure whether to use a singular or a plural verb with a collective noun in ypur writing or speaking, you can put “members of” before the collective noun and then use a plural verb.
Common Collective Noun List;
| Collective Noun | Meaning |
| Board | the group of people who are responsible for controlling and organizing a company or organization. |
| Bunch | 1. a number of things of the same type fastened together or in a close group. 2. a group of people. |
| Choir | a group of people who sing together. |
| Class | a group of students who are taught together at school, college, or university. |
| Committee | a small group of people chosen to represent a larger organization and either make decisions or collect information for it. |
| Crew | a group of people who work together, especially all those who work on and operate a ship, aircraft, etc. |
| Crowd | a large group of people who have come together. |
| Flock | a group of sheep, goats, or birds. |
| Group | a number of people or things that are put together or considered as a unit |
| Gang | 1. a group of criminals who work together. 2. a group of young people, especially young men, who spend time together, often fighting with other groups and behaving badly. 3. a group of friends. 4. a group of workers or prisoners who work together. |
| Heap | an untidy pile or mass of things. |
| Herd | a large group of animals of the same type that live and feed together. |
| Mob | 1. a large, angry crowd, especially one that could easily become violent. 2. a group of people who are friends or who are similar in some way. |
| Orchestra | a large group of musicians who play many different instruments together and are led by a conductor. |
| Pack | 1. a group of animals, such as dogs, that live and/or hunt together. 2. a group, set, or collection of something. |
| Panel | a small group of people chosen to give advice, make a decision, or publicly discuss their opinions as entertainment. |
| Pile | a mass of something that has been placed somewhere. |
| Series | a number of similar or related events or things, one following another. |
| Set | a group of similar things that belong together in some way. |
| Shoal | a large number of fish swimming as a group. |
| Shower | a lot of small objects or drops of liquid coming through the air. |
| Stack | a pile of things arranged one on top of another. |
| Staff | the group of people who work for an organization. |
| Swarm | 1. a large group of insects all moving together. 2. a large group of people all moving together. |
| Team | a number of people or animals who do something together as a group. |
| Troupe | a group of performers such as singers or dancers who work and travel together. |
Common Collective Nouns Used For People
| an army of soldiers |
| an audience of listeners |
| a band of musicians |
| a board of directors |
| a choir of singers |
| a class of students |
| a crew of sailors |
| a crowd of people |
| a flock of tourists |
| a gang of labourers |
| a group of dancers |
| a panel of experts |
| a staff of employees |
| a tribe of natives |
Common Collective Nouns Used For Animals
| an army of ants |
| a catch of fish |
| a flight of birds |
| a flock of sheep |
| a haul of fish |
| a herd of cattle |
| a hive of bees |
| a host of sparrows |
| a litter of cubs |
| a murder of crows |
| a pack of wolves |
| a team of horses |
| a troop of lions |
| a zoo of wild animals |
Common Collective Nouns Used For Animals
| an album of photographs |
| a basket of fruit |
| a bowl of rice |
| a bouquet of flowers |
| a bunch of keys |
| a galaxy of stars |
| a group of islands |
| a fleet of ships |
| a forest of trees |
| a hedge of bushes |
| a library of books |
| a pack of cards |
| a pair of shoes |
| a range of mountains |
| a string of pearls |
| a wad of notes |
For Collective Nouns Plural or Singular?, Click Here
For Detailed Collective Nouns for People, Click Here
For Detailed Collective Nouns for Animals, Click Here
For Detailed Collective Nouns for Things, Click Here
