Collective Nouns

For Intermediate learners

If we want to represent certain individual nouns as one entity we can make use of collective nouns. In this lesson, you'll learn about their structure and uses.

What Are Collective Nouns?

Collective nouns refer to a group or collection of people or things as a single unit.

Common Collective Nouns

In the list below, you can see some examples of common collective nouns:

Band
Gang
Class
Crowd
Team
Panel
Pack
Herd
Bunch
Bouquet

Tip!

While most collective nouns refer to groups of people, some can also refer to animals or objects:

Animals: herd, flock, pack
Things: bunch, bouquet

Collective Nouns: Singular or Plural?

Whether a collective noun is considered singular or plural depends on the context, and how we perceive the individuals in the group.
If we are considering them as a single unit, the collective noun is singular and should be paired with singular verbs and singular pronouns

The family still has its farm in the countryside.

However, if we are thinking of the individuals as separate entities, the collective noun is plural and should be paired with plural verbs and pronouns. For example:

The team are all wearing different jerseys.

Tip!

In American English, collective nouns are typically paired with singular verbs, while in British English, they are often paired with plural verbs.

The police are coming. (BrE)

The police is coming. (AmE)

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What Are Collective Nouns?
Common Collective Nouns
Collective Nouns: Singular or Plural?

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