Collective Nouns: Examples, Sentences And Rules

Think of the words team, group, or flock- these are examples of collective nouns. Collective nouns are particular kinds of nouns in English, where groups of people, things, or objects are treated like one single entity; they are no longer individuals.

There are over 150 collective nouns in English. Let’s dig into some common ones now.

Examples Of Common Collective Nouns

There are tons of collective nouns in English. Here are a few common examples you may have seen before.

• A jury 
• A family 
• A class of students
• A herd of sheep
• A flock of rare birds 
• A collection of papers
• A bunch of roses 
• A crate of soda
• A wad of dollars 
• A string of beads
• A fleet of ships

Collective Nouns For People, Animals, And Other

Here we have more examples of collective nouns; scroll down to find out more.

Collective Nouns Vs. Common Nouns

Many collective nouns, such as ‘crowd,’ are common nouns, which is why many confuse the two.

Generally speaking, nouns can be split into two broad categories; Common nouns and proper nouns. Collective nouns, however, are a collected group of something, generally treated as one.

What Are The Main Differences?

Collective Nouns Vs. Proper Nouns

Like common nouns, collective nouns can also be proper nouns; however, there are a few key differences. Proper nouns that refer to companies, organizations, or names of companies can also be collective nouns.

• Microsoft 
• Apple
• Liverpool Football Club
• Sony
• The FBI

When we talk about these companies and organizations of hundreds or thousands of employees in some situations, they become one entity.

Collective Nouns: Plural Vs. Singular with Examples

Every collective noun is made up of a group of people, objects, or things but is treated as one. Which makes many people wonder whether collective nouns are plural or singular.

Collective nouns can be singular or plural, depending on the situation and how each individual entity is seen within that group. 

Collective Nouns As A Singular Entity 

When we treat a collective noun as a singular entity, it’s because we see that particular group acting, thinking, or doing things the same way. Collective nouns are most commonly referred to as singular because we see the group as a whole.

In this case, we use singular verbs and singular pronouns to form a sentence with collective nouns.

Some collective noun examples

• The class is extremely excited today.
• The class was waiting for their teacher to arrive. 
• The pack of lions is waiting for its prey. 
• The group of pencils is in the pot. 
• The big band meets after school every day.
• Our team trains together every day. 
• The board of directors is in a meeting. 
• The group of fans is waiting by the stage door. 
• The crew is on the aircraft.
• Wow! What a lovely bunch of flowers!

You will notice that we use singular linking verbs like ‘is’ and ‘was’ to make these sentences. This is because we treat each group as a whole, not as individuals.

Note: In British English, collective nouns are often referred to in the plural, with plural verbs and plural pronouns. 

Collective Nouns As A Plural Entity 

In American English, collective nouns are mostly treated like singular entities. However, collective nouns can sometimes be referred to in the plural, especially when you want to highlight individual actions within that group. 

Some collective noun examples are pluralized

• The jury all reached a different conclusion based on the evidence given.
• The big band is all practicing their compositions.
• The team has been working on their skills and strengths this season.
• Microsoft employees each get a fair salary at the end of the month.
• The class starts their exams today.
• The pairs of shoes are each in their place. 
• The shoal of fish is each going their own way.
• The department heads are looking out for themselves.
• Many students were unhappy with the feedback they received on their work.

Although treating collective nouns in the plural is not a common practice in American English, you can see that in some situations, you can use a plural pronoun with a singular verb.

• The shoal of fish is each going their own way.

The ‘is’ in this sentence is a singular linking verb; however, ‘their’ is a plural pronoun to indicate that the group of fish isn’t working together and each fish is acting on their own.

Other Collective Noun Examples

And finally, here are some more examples for you to look at, just in case you didn't have enough.

• Group of fans
• Faculty Of The Arts 
• Department of Health.
• A pack of dogs
• A school of rainbow fish
• A shoal of marine animals
• A cup of coffee or tea
• The pairs of pants are stacked over there
• My team is going to win

While you’re here, we’ve got a ton of other noun-related content for you to look at!

Noun-related Topics:

• Nouns
• Uncountable Nouns
• Common Nouns
• Countable Nouns
• Proper Nouns
• Plural-only Nouns
• Possessive Nouns
• Nouns as Adjectives
• Compound Nouns