Meaning & use
groups
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“groups” is a form of “group”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
More than one set of people or things that are together or considered together.
Grammar: Plural of 'group'; takes a plural verb: The groups are ready.
Patterns
- groups of people
- groups of things
The teacher divided the class into small groups.
Several groups of tourists visited the museum today.
These groups of stars are called constellations.
verbtransitive
Arranges people or things into sets based on shared features.
Grammar: Third-person singular of 'group'; takes an object: She groups the files by date.
Patterns
- groups something by something
- groups something together
She groups the students according to their test scores.
The software groups the photos by date and location.
He groups his books by subject.
Common combinations
- groups of people
- Groups of people gathered in the square.
- small groups
- Students worked in small groups.
- groups of things
- The museum displays groups of ancient tools.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sets
- Sets often suggests a more formal or organized collection; groups is more general and can refer to people or things.
- categories
- Categories are classes in a system; groups is broader and can mean any collection.
Word family
Commonly confused: groups or group's?
groups vs group's
Group's is the possessive form (belonging to a group), while groups is the plural or verb form.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'groups' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Groups can be the plural noun or the third-person singular verb. Option B uses it correctly as a verb meaning arranges into sets. Option A uses 'group's' (possessive) where the plural 'groups' is needed. Option C uses 'groups' as if it meant a person, which is wrong. Option D uses 'groups' after 'to', but the base form 'group' is needed.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “groups”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.