Collective Noun is a name used for a group of people, animals or objects that we group and we refer to as a whole unit that represents its parts.
Examples: a bunch of bananas, a litter of puppies, a flock of sheep, and others.
All these examples are seen as one unit, like a swarm of sheep, we don’t count the number of sheep, but we see as a whole that is a flock of sheep.
Collective Nouns if considered as a whole unit, then the verb used is singular. If it is seen separately from each member, it is no longer considered as a whole unit, then the verb used is plural. Consider the following brief example to clarify understanding of the relationship of Collective Nouns with Singular and Plural verbs:
- The family is planning an overseas trip. (In this sentence, the family word is considered as a whole unit, so the verb used is a singular verb is.)
- The family are discussing about the plan. (In this sentence, the family is used to represent the words of the family members, for that, the family word is no longer considered as a whole unit, but rather the involvement of its members in the discussion.)
You may also read: Types of Nouns
There are many kinds of Collective Nouns. Most Collective Nouns use certain terms and are different in grouping units.
For example, a swarm of fish and a swarm of sheep, although both use the word a bunch, but the English version is different, namely: a school of fish (a bunch of fish), and a herd of sheep (a bunch of sheep).
To enrich the Collective Noun collection, see the following examples of collective Nouns.
Kinds of Collective Nouns
There are 2 kinds of Collective Noun, namely :
1. Collective Nouns that use prepositions as groupings
1. Collective Nouns that use prepositions as groupings, such as a flock of , a herd of , etc. that can be classified as people, things, and creatures:
i. Collective Nouns of People
- an army of soldiers
- a bevy of beauties / girls
- a band of musicians
- a band of robbers
- a board of directors
- a body of downloading
- a bunch of crooks
- a caravan of gypsies
- a choir of singers
- a class of pupils
- a class of students
- a company of actors
- a company of soldiers, and
- a congregation of worshipers
- a crew of sailors
- a crowd of Spectators
- a crowd of people
- a dynasty of kings
- a galaxy of beautiful women
- a galaxy of movie stars
- a gang of crooks
- a gang of laborers
- a gang of prisoners,
- a gang of robbers
- a gang of thieves
- a group of dancers
- a group of singers
- a horde of savages
- a host of angels
- a line of kings / rulers
- a mob of rioters
- a pack of Rascals
- a pack of thieves
- a party of friends
- a patrol of policemen
- a posse of policemen
- a regiment of soldiers,
- a staff of employees
- a staff of Servants
- a staff of teachers
- a team of players
- a tribe of natives
- a troop of scouts
- a group of artists
- a group of performers
- a party of friends
ii. Collective Nouns for Things
- an album of autographs and
- an album of photographs
- an album of stamps
- an anthology of poems
- an archipelago of islands
- a bale of cotton
- a bale of wool
- a basket of fruit
- a batch of bread
- a battery of guns
- a block of flats
- a book of exercises
- a book of notes
- a bouquet of flowers
- a bowl of rice
- a bunch of bananas
- a bunch of flowers
- a bunch of grapes
- a bunch of keys
- a bundle of rags / old clothes
- a bundle of firewood / sticks
- a bundle of hay
- a catalog of prices / goods
- a chain of events
- a chain of mountains
- a chest of drawers
- a cloud of dust
- a Clump of bushes
- a Clump of trees
- a cluster of coconuts
- a cluster of diamonds
- is a cluster of grapes
- a cluster of stars
- a clutch of eggs
- a collection of coins
- a collection of curiosities of
- a collection of pictures
- a collection of relics
- a collection of stamps
- a column of smoke
- a comb of bananas
- a compendium of games
- a constellation of stars
- is a cluster of diamonds
- is a cluster of stars
- a clutch of eggs
- a crate of fruit
- a crop of apples
- a fall of rain
- a fall of snow
- a fleet of motor-cars / taxis
- a fleet of ships
- a flight of airplanes
- a flight of steps
- a forest of trees
- a galaxy of stars
- a garland of flowers
- a glossary of difficult, words / phrases
- a group of islands
- a grove of trees
- a hail of bullets
- a hand of bananas ( each a finger)
- a harvest of wheat / corn
- a heap of rubbish
- a heap of ruins
- a hedge of bushes
- a heap of stones
- a layer of soil / dirt
- a library of books
- a line of cars
- a list of names
- a mass of ruins / hair
- a necklace of pearls
- an outfit of clothes
- an orchard of fruit trees
- a pack of cards
- a pack of lies
- a packet of cigarettes
- a packet of letters
- a pair of shoes
- a pencil of rays and
- a quiver of arrows
- a range of hills
- a range of mountains
- a ream of paper
- a reel of thread / film
- a roll of film / cloth
- a rope of pearls
- a row of houses
- a series of events
- a set of china
- a set of clubs,
- a set of tools
- a Sheaf of arrows
- a Sheaf of corn
- a Sheaf of grain
- a Sheaf of papers
- a Sheaf of wheat
- a shower of blows
- a shower of rain
- a stack of arms
- a stack of corn
- a stack of hay
- a stack of timber
- a stack of wood
- a stock of goods
- a stock of wood
- a string of beads
- a string of pearls
- a suit of clothes
- a suite of furniture
- a suite of rooms
- a tuft of grass
- a tuft of hair
- a wad of currency / notes
- a wreath of flowers
iii. Collective Nouns of Animals / Creatures
- an army of ants
- a bevy of quail
- a brood/flock of chicks /chickens
- a catch of fish
- a cloud of flies
- a cloud of insects
- a cloud of Locusts
- a colony of gulls
- a drove of cattle
- a drove of horses
- a flight of birds
- a flight of doves
- a flight of Locusts
- a flight of swallows
- a flock of birds
- a flock of geese
- a flock of sheep
- a flock of chickens
- a gaggle of geese
- a haul of fish
- a herd of buffaloes
- a herd of cattle
- a herd of deer
- a herd of elephants
- a herd of goats
- a herd of swine
- a hive of bees
- a host of sparrows
- a kindle of kittens
- a litter of cubs
- a litter of piglets
- a litter of kittens
- a litter of puppies
- a menagerie of wild animals
- a muster of peacocks
- a nest of ants
- a nest of mice
- a nest of rabbits
- a pack of hounds
- a pack of wolves
- a plague of insects
- a plague of Locusts
- a pride of lions
- a school of Herrings / other small fish
- a school of porpoises
- a school of whales
- a shoal of fish
- a skein of wild geese in flight
- a string of horses
- a stud of horses
- a swarm of ants
- a swarm of bees
- A swarm of insects
- a swarm of locusts
- a team of oxen
- a train of camels
- a tribe of goats
- a troop of lions
- a troop of monkeys
- a zoo of wild animals
2. Collective Nouns that only use one word
2. Collective Nouns that only use one word but can represent members as a whole unit.
- corporation’s army
- audience
- board
- cabinet
- class
- committee
- company
- council
- department
- faculty
- family
- firm jury majority
- group
- minority
- navy
- public
- school
- senate
- society
- team
- troupe