Meaning & use
collective noun
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Meanings
nouncountable
A noun that refers to a group of people, animals, or things as a single unit.
Grammar: Countable: a collective noun, two collective nouns. Often followed by 'of' + plural noun.
Patterns
- a collective noun for something
- a collective noun of something
In the sentence 'The committee has decided,' 'committee' is a collective noun.
'Flock' is a collective noun for sheep or birds.
The teacher asked us to list collective nouns such as 'team', 'family', and 'herd'.
nouncountableBritish
A noun that takes a singular or plural verb depending on whether the group acts as one or as individuals.
Grammar: In British English, collective nouns often take a plural verb when the members act individually.
Patterns
- collective noun + singular verb
- collective noun + plural verb
In American English, a collective noun like 'government' usually takes a singular verb: 'The government has decided.'
In British English, you may say 'The team are playing well' because the members are seen as individuals.
Word forms
| plural | collective nouns |
|---|
Common combinations
- a collective noun for
- A collective noun for lions is a 'pride'.
- singular verb with a collective noun
- Use a singular verb with a collective noun when the group acts as one unit.
- plural verb with a collective noun
- British English often uses a plural verb with a collective noun when the individuals are emphasized.
Synonyms and how they differ
- group noun
- A less common term for the same idea; 'collective noun' is the standard term in grammar.
Word family
- collective adjective
- Shared by or involving a group.
- collectively adverb
- As a group; together.
Commonly confused: collective noun or proper noun? collective noun or abstract noun?
collective noun vs proper noun
A proper noun names a specific person, place, or thing (e.g., 'London'); a collective noun names a group (e.g., 'city').
collective noun vs abstract noun
An abstract noun names an idea or quality (e.g., 'freedom'); a collective noun names a group of things.
Practice
Which of the following is a collective noun?
Choose one answer.
'Flock' names a group of birds or sheep as one unit, so it is a collective noun. 'Happiness' is abstract, 'quickly' is an adverb, and 'run' is a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “collective noun”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.