A collective noun is a word used to describe a group of people, animals, objects, or ideas. A collective noun can be singular or plural, depending on the context in which it is used. For example, a group of people can be referred to as a “team” or a “group”; a group of animals can be referred to as a “herd” or a “flock”; a group of objects can be referred to as a “bunch” or a “collection”; and a group of ideas can be referred to as a “body.”
Collective nouns are used in both spoken and written English. They are often used to make sentences sound more interesting or to emphasize the collective nature of a group. For example, instead of saying “the books are on the shelf,” you could say, “the collection of books is on the shelf.”
In English grammar, collective nouns are usually treated as singular entities, even when they refer to a group of multiple people, animals, objects, or ideas. This means that when you use a collective noun in a sentence, you should use a singular verb form. For example, instead of saying “the team are playing,” you should say “the team is playing.”
Collective nouns are an important part of the English language and can make sentences more interesting and descriptive. Here are some examples of collective nouns:
People: team, group, army, choir, family, class.
Animals: herd, flock, pack, colony.
Objects: bunch, collection, stack, set.
Ideas: body, assembly, council, committee.
