When a noun stands for a group of people, things, animals etc., it is called a collective noun. Following are some examples and exercises that depict collective noun
Examples:
| People | Things | Animals |
| an army of soldiers | an album of stamps | a flock of birds |
| a class of students | a heap of stones | a pack of hounds |
| a group of singers | a fleet of ships | a drove of cattle |
Collective nouns are always employed with singular verbs.
Examples:
A team of oxen is running in the field.
A troop of leopards is attacking bears.
A group of singers is singing a song on the stage.
A flock of birds is flying in the air.
A crowd of people was gathering in playground.
Noah gave her mother a bunch of flowers on mother’s Day.
I bought a bunch of bananas from the bazar.
Study the following lists of collective nouns.
| Things | People | Animals |
| a tuft of grass | a company of girl guides | a colony of bats |
| a bundle of sticks | a blast of hunters | a drove of pigs |
| a library of books | a blush of boys | a flight of swallows |
| a heap / pile of stones | a gang / den of thieves | a gaggle of geese |
| a dossier of documents | a flock of tourists | a tribe / troop of monkeys |
| a clutch of eggs | a coven of witches | a team / herd of oxen |
| a crate of fruit | a gaggle of women | a parliment of owls |
| a troop of mushrooms | a band of men | a fall of lambs |
| a fleet / fortilla of ships | a bench of magistrates | a herd of cattle |
| a group / archipelago of islands | a horde of savages | a nest / colony / an army of ants |
| a ring of keys | a party of politicians | a swarm / hive of bees |
| a string of pearls | a staff of teachers | a herd of antelopes |
| a set of china | a gang of workmen | a flock of birds |
| a bundle of rags | a company of actors | a herd of buffaloes |
| a wad of money | a troupe of dancers / performers | a culture of bacteria |
| a set / kit of tools | a cast / company of actors | a leap of leopards |
| a packet of cigarettes | a party of friends | a pride / troop of lions |
| a bundle of sticks | a crowd of people | a plague of locusts |
| a bunch of bananas | a crowd of onlookers / spectators | a school of whales / dolphins |
| a bunch of grapes | a band of robbers | a flock of sheep |
| a quiver of arrows | a bevy / galaxy of beauties | a stud of horses |
| a clump / thicket / grove of trees | a host of angels | a litter of puppies |
| a fleet of cars | a staff of servants | a nest of rabbits / mice |
| a batch of bread | a choir of singers | a flock of sheep / camels |
| a stack of hay | a board of directors | a farrow of piglets |
| a network of computers | a bevy of girls / ladies | a cloud of mosquitoes |
| a galaxy / constellation of stars | a gang of labourers | a quiver of cobras |
| a brace of pistols | a staff of employees | a pack of dogs / wolves |
| a flight of airplanes | a band / an orchestra of musicians | a drove of donkeys |
| a flight of steps | a panel of experts | a brood of chickens |
| a pack of cards | a tribe of natives | a shoal / school of fish |
| a collection of stamps | a troop of boy scouts | a cote of doves |
| a suit of clothes | a team of players | a swarm of insects |
| a sheaf of corn | a school of clerks | a litter of kittens |
| a cluster of diamonds | a crew of sailors | a herd of elephants |
| a bale of cotton | a posse of policemen / sheriffs | a troop / mop of kangaroos |
| a heap / pile of trash | a class of pupils | a pit / nest / slither of snakes |
| a collection of pictures | a congregation of worshippers | a swarm of insects |
| a suite of furniture | a squad / army / troop of soldiers | a hedge of bushes |
| a bouquet / bunch of flowers | an eloquence of lawyers | a range of mountains |
| a range of mountains | an audience of listeners | a suite of furniture |
| a chest of drawers | an illusion of magicians | a bouquet / bunch of flowers |
Exercises
- Choose the right collective nouns to fill in the blanks.
galaxy, bevy, band, tribe, gaggle, staff, party, suit, wad, pack
- a ____________ of stars
- a ____________ of money
- a ____________ of natives
- a ____________ of friends
- a ____________ of musicians
- a ____________ of wolves
- a ____________ of beauties
- a ____________ of employees
- a ____________ of clothes
- a ____________ of geese
- Choose the correct answers.
- a ( panel, board ) of directors
- a (bale, set) of tools
- a ( troop, leap ) of lions
- a (culture, brood ) of microbes
- a (eloquence, company) of actress
- a (flock, team) of sheep
- a (network, batch) of super computers
- a ( drove, troop ) of leopards
- a ( board, panel ) of administrators
- a (library, pack) of books
- Fill in the blanks with the right collective nouns.
- A few students are feeding a ____________ of monkeys in the park.
- The hen-sparrow is sitting on a ____________ of eggs.
- A ____________ of politicians is having a meeting in the hall.
- A ____________ of dancers is dancing stylishly on the stage.
- My cat gave birth to a ____________ of kittens yesterday.
- Mr. Josef gave his wife a ____________ of pearls as a wedding present.
- The cashier passed a ____________ of coins to the client.
- Mrs. John found a ____________ of rats in her attic.
- The agrarians are saddened because a ____________ of locusts ruined their crops.
- My uncle ordered a new ____________ of furniture for our dining room last Sunday.
- Choose the correct answers.
- Mr. George handed a (wad, ring) of keys to his mother.
- A (team, congregation) of hockey players are warming up .
- In a story that Cendy read, a (host, board) of angels came to the save of the earthquake preys.
- The wealthy commander owns a (flight, fleet) of ships.
- A few men are clearing a (set, pile) of waste at the roadside.
- H saw a (gaggle, company) of colorful sparrows at the zoo last year.
- While escaping from the house owner, the thief slipped and fell down a (flight, stack) of steps.
- Mrs. Bing bought a (bunch, suit) of flowers from the market.
- There is a (group, range) of mountains a few miles away from the village.
- Afew whales are pursuing a (class, school) of fish under the sea.
Answers
A.
- galaxy
- audience
- tribe
- party
- band
- pack
- bevy
- staff
- suit
- gaggle
B.
1.panel
2.set
3.leap
4.culture
5.company
6.flock
7.network
8.drove
9.board
10.library
C.
1.troop/tribe
2.clutch
3.party
4.troupe
5.litter
6.string
7.rouleau
8.nest
9.plague
10.suite
D.
1.ring 2.team 3.host 4.fleet 5.pile 6.company 7.flight 8.bunch 9.range 10.school
