COLLECTIVE NOUNS / GROUP NOUNS

What is a collective noun?

A collective noun is a noun that can be singular in form whilst referring to a group of people or things.
Collective nouns are sometimes confused with mass nouns.

Groups of people - army, audience, band, choir, class, committee, crew, family, gang, jury, orchestra,
police, staff, team, trio

Groups of animals - colony, flock, herd, pack, pod, school, swarm

Groups of things - bunch, bundle, clump, pair, set, stack

The use of "of"

We often say a group of things, such as a bunch of flowers, or a host of golden daffodils.

Some collective nouns can stand alone, such as "Britain has an army", but if the collective noun "army" is
used to mean something other than an organized military force, you can say things like "an army of women"
or "an army of ants", and even "an army of one".

Plural or singular?

When a group is considered as a single unit, the collective noun is used with a singular verb and singular
pronoun.

For example - The committee has reached its decision.

When the focus is on the individual parts of the group, British English sometimes uses a plural verb and
plural pronouns.

For example - "The committee have been arguing all morning." This is the same as saying "The people in
the committe have been ...."

However, if you are talking about more than one committee, then you use the plural form.

For example - "Many committees have been formed over the years."

A determiner in front of a singular collective noun is always singular: this committee , never these
committee (but of course when the collective noun is pluralized, it takes a plural determiner: these
committees ).
 List of Common Collective Nouns
There are lots of collective nouns, and some of them might be useful to know if you do the cryptic
crossword; such as a murder of crows, so, by all means learn them if it interests you. In the meantime here
are some you might actually use in day to day English.
Groups of people working together
Army: an organized military force equipped for fighting on land.
Cast: the actors in a certain movie or play.
Crew: all the working members on a ship or plane.
Family: a group of people usually related by blood.
Gang: an organized group of criminals.
Staff: the people who work in a company or place of work.
Team: a group of individuals playing on the same side generally with the same objectives.
Groups of people in general
Audience: spectators or listeners at a public event.
Crowd: a group of people, gathered together.
Mob: a large disorderly crowd.
Movement: a group of people with similar political/musical/social ideals.
Throng: a busy group of people or animals.

Groups of animals
Herd: a herd of cows, a herd of goats, a herd of deer
Flock: a flock of sheep, a flock of birds
Litter: a litter of kittens (usually of baby animals)
Pack: a pack of wolves, a pack of dogs
Shoal / School: a shoal of fish, a school of fish
Swarm: a swarm of bees (swarm is used for a group of flying insects)
Groups of things
Batch: a quantity or consignment of goods produced at one time - a batch of bread / a batch of letters.
Bunch: a number of things, typically of the same kind, growing or fastened together - a bunch of flowers / a
bunch of grapes / a bunch of bananas.
Bundle: a collection of things or material tied or wrapped up together - a bundle of newspapers / a bundle of
sticks.
Collection: a group of objects or works to be seen, studied, or kept together - a collection of stamps.
Fleet: a collection of ships or vehicles - a fleet of fishing boats / a fleet of taxis.
Pack: a small cardboard or paper container and the items contained within it - a pack of cards / a pack of
cigarettes.
Heap / Pile / Stack: a quantity of objects stacked or thrown together - a pile of clothes / a heap of bodies / a
stack of plates.
Set: a collection of things that belong together - a set of tools / a set of underwear / a set of compasses, a set
of cutlery.
Stash: a group of hidden things - a stash of cash, a stash of beer, a stash of weapons.
 Exercise Directions: Write down the collective noun and the correct verb choice that will agree with the
collective noun. (Use the hint above to help you get the correct answer.) Remember that "s" on the end of a
verb indicates a singular verb.

1. The class (describes, describe) their vacations.

2. The whole class (meet, meets) at 3 PM.
3. The family (takes, take) a trip to Houghton Lake, Michigan.
4. The chess club (compare, compares) their strategies so as to win the tournament.
5. The swarm of reporters (engulfs, engulf) the famous actor all at once.
6. The audience (cheer, cheers) the winner of the million dollars.
7. The orchestra (performs, perform) my favorite music.
8. The baseball team (practice, practices) together every evening.
9. The public (support, supports) the travel baseball league.
10. The troop (disappears, disappear) in different directions.
11. The crowd (moves, move) to their favorite places along the parade route.
12. The team (is, are) putting on their helmets.
13. The stage crew (has, have) completed the scenery.
14. The orchestra (was, were) tuning up one by one. (underline is a clue!)
15. For weeks, the cast (was, were) rehearsing their lines with one another(clue!)

Complete the following sentences using appropriate verbs or pronouns. (is / are)
1. The average Indian family …………………………………… now smaller and richer than it was 50 years
ago.
2. The team ………………………………….. in Milan this weekend.
3. The committee ………………………………………… divided on this issue.
4. The class …………………………………………… a bright one.
5. The class …………………………………….. a mixed lot.
6. The team ……………………………………….. on the field. It has a good chance of winning.
7. The jury ………………………………………… still debating the case.
8. His family …………………………………. living in various parts of Chennai.

Complete the following sentences using a verb form that agrees with the subject.
1. Our audience …………….. always been the affluent urban elite.
has
have
2. The audience at the open-air stadium …………………… not as large as had been expected.
was
were
3. The audience ……………………. enthralled by her performance.
was
were
4. Audiences throughout the world ……………….. been captivated by Chaplin’s films.
have
has
5. The public ………………….. stringent laws to deal with terrorists.
want
wants
6. The public …………….. not satisfied with the relief measures taken during the floods.
was
were
7. The team ………………… practising at the stadium.
was
were
8. The team ………………. for Australia tomorrow.
is leaving
are leaving
9. A family with four children ………………. next door.
live
lives
10. My family …………………. going to be there.
is
are

In the following sentences, decide whether the collective noun requires the singular or plural verb.

a) puts
1. This organization on a barbecue every summer. b) put
a) is; its
2. The flute ensemble tuning instruments. b) are; their
a) is
3. The flute ensemble playing at the Kiwanis Music Festival. b) are
a) plans
4. Martin's family to vacation in Haida Gwaii this summer. b) plan
a) has
5. A huge swarm of locusts destroyed the crops. b) have
a) w as
6. The pack of dogs running off in different directions. b) w ere
a) w rites; its
7. Every fall, the English class book reports on summer reading. b) w rite; their

Answers; has, was, was, have, wants, was, was, is, lives, is
1. Our audience has always been the affluent urban elite.
Answers
1. is, 2. is, 3. are, 4. is, 5. are, 6. is, 7. are, 8. Are

Collective Noun and Verb Agreement Practice - Answers

1. class - individuals - (see the word, their...hint to plural) describe

2. class - one group - singular - meets
3. family - one group - singular - takes
4. club - individuals - (their) - plural - compare
5. swarm - individuals - plural - engulf
6. audience - group - singular - cheers
7. orchestra - group - singular - performs
8. team - group - singular - practices
9. public - group - singular - supports
10. troop - individuals - plural - disappear
11. crowd - individuals - plural - move
12. team - individuals - plural - are
13. crew - group - singular - has
14. orchestra - individual - (one by one) - plural - were
15. cast - individual - (one another) - plural – were
1. This organization on a barbecue every summer.
The correct answer is a) puts.In this sentence, the collective noun organization requires the singular
verb putsbecause the staff is acting as a unit. All the members of the organization are acting in
unison.
2. The flute ensemble tuning instruments.
The correct answer is b) are; their.
In this sentence, the collective noun ensemble refers to the individuals that make up the group. Each
flutist is tuning his or her own instrument. You must therefore use the plural verb are.
3. The flute ensemble playing at the Kiwanis Music Festival.
The correct answer is a) is.
In this sentence, the collective noun ensemble requires the singular verb is because the flute
ensemble is acting as a unit. All the flutists are playing together at the same time.
4. Martin's family to vacation in Haida Gwaii this summer.
The correct answer is a) plans.
In this sentence, the collective noun family requires the singular verb plans because the family is
acting as a unit. All the members of the family have the same plan.
5. A huge swarm of locusts destroyed the crops.

The correct answer is a) has.

In this example, the collective noun swarm is acting as a unit. You therefore need the singular verb has.
6. The pack of dogs running off in different directions.
The correct answer is b) were.
In this example, the collective noun pack requires the plural verb were because the dogs are acting
individually: each dog is running in a different direction.
7. Every fall, the English class book reports on summer reading.
The correct answer is b) write; their.
In this example, the collective noun class requires the plural verb write because the students are
acting individually: each student is writing a different book report.