What Is A Collective Noun? Definition & Examples
Collective nouns can be fun but also confusing for many writers. Especially their grammar rules – should they be treated as singular or plural?!
There are over 200 collective nouns in the English language so you may as well get familiar with them!
Let’s explain the definition of collective nouns, whether to treat them as singular or plural, go over a bunch of examples, and finally answer some frequently asked questions.
Let’s get started!
What Is a Collective Noun?
A collective noun refers to a word that represents a group of people, animals, or things as a single unit. While they describe a collection of individuals, these words treat the group as one entity.
Examples of Collective Nouns:
• Team: Refers to a group of players acting as one unit.
• Family: Represents a group of related people.
• Herd: Used to describe a group of animals, typically cattle or sheep.
Are Collective Nouns Singular or Plural?
This is where things get tricky. Collective nouns can be treated as either singular or plural depending on the context and style of writing. This is especially true in British and American English, where usage may differ slightly.
Singular Usage: When the group acts as a single unit, collective nouns are usually treated as singular.
For example, The team is winning the match treats ‘team’ as a single entity.
Or in this sentence, ‘committee’ is treated as singular: the committee has decided on the new policy.
Plural Usage: In some cases, especially in British English, collective nouns can be treated as plural if the individuals within the group are acting independently.
For example, The team were on holiday all summer. Here the actions of each member of the team are emphasised.
Another example is: The family have packed their suitcases. Here, we are talking about the individual members of the family, each with their own suitcase, so the plural form makes more sense.
American vs. British English
One reason why there is so much confusion surrounding collective nouns is the difference between American and British English. In American English, collective nouns are almost always treated as singular unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. In British English, collective nouns are often treated as plural when referring to the individuals within the group.
• The band is releasing a new album next month. (American English)
• The band are releasing a new album next month. (British English)
Stay Consistent!
When using collective nouns, consistency is key. Remember the subject-verb agreement? It applies here. A common mistake is switching between treating a collective noun as singular and plural within the same sentence or paragraph.
Let’s go over this with an example:
• Incorrect: The band are releasing a new album next month. It couldn’t wait for the music to be released.
• Correct: The band are releasing a new album next month. They couldn’t wait for the music to be released.
In the correct version, the band is consistently treated as plural throughout the sentence. ‘They’ aligns with the earlier plural use of ‘are’, keeping the sentence grammatically consistent.
Collective Nouns Examples
Although many collective nouns are general – you can use a ‘group’ or ‘collection’ for nearly anything e.g a collection of stamps, a group of students – but you can also get very specific collective nouns e.g a school of fish.
These can be used on their own e.g The school swam away or with the name of the animal they describe e.g The school of fish swam away.
Here are some examples of common nouns for people, animals and proper nouns.
| Proper Nouns | People | Animals |
|---|---|---|
| The Beatles | Team | Flock (of birds) |
| The United Nations | Committee | Pack (of wolves) |
| Apple | Class | Pride (of lions) |
| The Rolling Stones | Jury | School (of fish) |
| NASA | Band | Herd (of elephants) |
| The Avengers | Council | Gaggle (of geese) |
| The Academy | Choir | Pod (of dolphins) |
| The British Parliament | Cast | Troop (of monkeys) |
What Is The Difference Between Collective Nouns And Proper Nouns?
1. Collective Nouns: These are nouns that refer to a group of people, animals, or things considered as one unit. They don’t specify a particular person, place, or thing. For example, family, team, and committee are collective nouns that describe groups.
2. Proper Nouns: These are the specific names of people, places, or things. They are always capitalised and refer to a unique person, place, or entity, such as London, Shakespeare, or The Beatles.
However, collective nouns can also be proper nouns when they name a specific group or organisation. For example, a football team like Manchester United or a music group like The Rolling Stones are both collective nouns, but they are also proper nouns because they refer to specific, named entities.
How Many Collective Nouns Are There?
There are over 200 collective nouns in the English language!
Now You Can Use Collective Nouns Confidently!
Collective nouns are words that describe groups of people, animals, or things acting as one unit. Now that you understand their rules, from singular or plural usage to recognising proper nouns, you can confidently use them in your writing – good luck!
