Collective nouns are words which are used to refer to a group of people, things, or animals. Though, a collective noun represents a group but it denotes that group as a singular unit.
Take a look at the list of most common collective nouns,
• Family
• Army
• Staff
• Team
• Committee
• Department
• Society
• Public
• Class
• Company
• Audience
• School
• Group
• Council
• Board
• Firm
• Jury
Use of Collective Nouns in Example Sentences
1. My team is better than yours.
2. The audience was very much excited for today’s show.
3. The teacher asked one of his students to call upon the next class for the presentation.
In the above examples, ‘team’, ‘audience’, and ‘class’ are known as collective nouns. Each of these collective nouns is singular in appearance but in fact, these collective nouns have more than one person in them. For instance, a team cannot have a single person in it or you cannot imagine an audience having a single person. There must be two or more than two people in it.
List of Collective Nouns by Category
Collective nouns are words used to refer to groups of people, animals, or objects. Grouping collective nouns into specific categories can help readers visualize how these words function in various contexts. Below are some common collective nouns, organized by category:
1. People
These collective nouns describe groups of people in various professions, activities, or settings.
- Choir: A group of singers or musicians.
- Panel: A group of experts or people gathered for discussion or judgment.
- Cast: A group of actors in a play, movie, or TV show.
- Crew: A group of people who work together, especially on a ship or aircraft.
- Team: A group of people collaborating to achieve a common goal, such as in sports or work.
- Band: A group of musicians playing together.
- Class: A group of students in a school or educational setting.
- Committee: A group of people appointed to perform a specific task or make decisions.
2. Animals
Animal collective nouns are often colorful and imaginative, representing groups of specific types of animals.
- Herd: A group of grazing animals, such as cattle or elephants.
- Flock: A group of birds, like pigeons or sheep.
- Pack: A group of carnivorous animals, such as wolves or dogs.
- Swarm: A large group of insects, especially bees or locusts.
- Pride: A group of lions.
- School: A group of fish swimming together.
- Colony: A group of penguins or ants living together in a specific area.
- Troop: A group of monkeys.
3. Objects/Things
These collective nouns describe groups of inanimate objects or things.
- Bunch: A group of things of the same kind, such as grapes, keys, or flowers.
- Stack: A neat pile of items, like books or papers.
- Collection; A group of similar items gathered together, like stamps or paintings.
- Fleet: A group of ships, airplanes, or vehicles traveling together.
- Set: A group of related objects, such as a set of dishes or tools.
- Pile: An untidy heap of objects, like clothes or leaves.
- Range: A group of mountains or hills.
- Suite: A set of connected rooms or musical compositions.
Rare or Unusual Collective Nouns
While many collective nouns are commonly known, some are rare or unique, particularly those describing animals or objects. These less familiar collective nouns can add a fun twist to your vocabulary and enrich your writing.
1. Animals
- A Parliament of Owls: Refers to a group of owls. The term “parliament” adds a sense of wisdom, as owls are often associated with knowledge and mystery.
- A Murder of Crows: A chilling collective noun for a group of crows. The word “murder” is likely linked to old folklore associating crows with death and omens.
- A Drove of Pigs: Used to describe a group of pigs being driven together.
2. Objects/Things
- A Quiver of Arrows: A group of arrows stored together in a quiver, ready to be used by an archer.
- A Clutch of Eggs: Refers to a group of eggs, typically laid by a bird at one time.
- A Bale of Turtles: Used to describe a group of turtles.
Adding these rare and unusual collective nouns not only diversifies your vocabulary but also makes your writing more vivid and interesting!
Check Out: Abstract and Concrete Nouns.
Few Rules to use Collective Nouns in Sentences
Remember to use a singular verb form with a collective noun. For example,
• The class goes to the playground.
• The board does something very aggressive, which is unbelievable.
In the above examples, both ‘goes’ and ‘does’ are singular verb forms for ‘to go’ and ‘to do’.
However, collective nouns can be used singular or plural. In this way, you have to be careful while using the same form of collective noun within the whole sentence. For example,
• The family is excited and plans to go for a long trip next weekend. (Correct)
• The family is excited and they plan to go for a long trip next weekend. (Wrong)
• The family are all excited and they plan to go for a long trip next weekend. (Correct)
If you are confused in the above last example sentence then, free to add a word like ‘members‘ to denote each individual person of the respective collective noun. For instance,
• The family members are all excited and they plan to go for a long trip next weekend. (Correct)
More examples,
1. Your team is going to show its best. (Singular)
• After the training, the team move to their rooms to take rest. (Plural)
2. The class was very busy in preparing the most difficult project. (Singular)
• The class sit peacefully and have waited for the lecturer to join them. (Plural)
As I said above, if you feel any confusion, add a word like ‘members’ for instance, team members, or you can replace the word like, you can replace the word ‘class’ with ‘students’ and vice versa.
What Did You Learn?
A collective noun is such a word which is used to refer to a group of things, people, or animals as a singular unit. These nouns are singular by nature that is why, they require singular verbs. However, when a collective noun is used in a plural form, remember to use plural verb with it.