Let us explain collective nouns in more detail.
Collective nouns examples
Some common examples of collective nouns include "team," "family," "herd," "flock," "swarm," "group," "pack," "class," "committee," and "fleet."
Collective nouns are singular in form
Collective nouns are typically singular in form and take singular verbs and pronouns. For example:
"The team is practicing."
"The family is going on vacation."
"The herd is grazing in the field."
Collective nouns represent multiple individuals
Despite being singular in form, collective nouns represent multiple individuals or objects within the group. For instance:
"The team" may consist of several players.
"The class" may have many students.
"The herd" could include numerous animals.
Pay attention to context
The context often determines whether the collective noun is treated as singular or plural. Sometimes, it depends on whether the emphasis is on the group as a whole or on the individual members within it.
When do we use plural in the context of a plural noun?
In some cases, collective nouns can be treated as plural, particularly when the emphasis is on the individuals within the group rather than the group as a whole. For example:
"The team are arguing among themselves."
"The committee disagree on the best course of action."
Subject-verb agreement
When using collective nouns, it's important to ensure that the verb agrees with the intended meaning. If the focus is on the group as a single entity, use a singular verb. If the focus is on the individual members, use a plural verb.
Collective nouns worksheets
We have sets of worksheets for students to work on collective nouns in our grade 2 and grade 3 grammar sections.
Recognizing collective nouns
Students are asked to underline the collective nouns in sentences in these worksheets.
Write collective nouns
Students practice writing collective nouns in sentences. A word bank is provided.
Match collective nouns with prepositional phrases
In these worksheets, students match collective nouns with their prepositional phrases.
