A collective noun refers to a group of people, animals, or things treated as one unit.
People
| Collective | Meaning | | ------------- | --------------------------------- | | team | a group of players or workers | | committee | a group appointed for a purpose | | audience | people watching a performance | | crowd | a large number of people together | | family | people related to each other | | staff | employees of an organisation | | jury | people judging a legal case |
Animals
| Collective | Animal | | ---------- | --------------------- | | flock | sheep, birds | | herd | cows, elephants, deer | | pack | wolves, dogs | | pride | lions | | school | fish | | swarm | bees, insects | | colony | ants, penguins |
Things
| Collective | Things | | -------------- | ----------------------- | | bunch | grapes, keys, flowers | | set | tools, dishes, numbers | | stack | books, papers, pancakes | | pile | clothes, leaves, rocks | | fleet | ships, cars, planes | | collection | stamps, coins, art |
Singular or Plural Verb?
In American English, collective nouns are usually singular:
The team is playing well.
In British English, they can be singular or plural depending on emphasis:
The team is playing well. (as a unit) The team are wearing their new kits. (as individuals)
Try This
Fill in the correct collective noun:
- A ___ of bees flew out of the hive.
- The ___ of wolves hunted together.
- She bought a ___ of flowers.