Recently Viewed › Close 

x
Welcome backRead Now!Out Now Term 3 UAE Magazine×

Filter By Age

Membership

Sign In  Join

Menu

What is a Collective Noun?

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9

collective nouns worksheets collective nouns worksheet

collective nouns list nouns powerpoint

collective nouns animals collective nouns powerpoint

 collective noun for food collective noun worksheet

comprehension collective nouns

Collective Noun
A collective noun is a type of noun (identifying word) which is used to show a group
of people, animals or objects. There are some collective nouns that are general and
can refer to many things, such as ‘group’, but also some with specific uses. For
instance, ‘flock’ refers to a group of birds.

What is a Collective Noun?

For starters, what is a collective noun?

Well, when we think of the word ‘collective’, we think of more than one thing or
person. Therefore, a collective noun must be a noun that is used to represent a
group of people, animals, or objects!

They are sometimes called grouped nouns, as they represent a number or a

collection of things. Common examples of collective nouns are words like
'government', 'family,' and 'team.'
Collective nouns are typically plural, but they can also be singular in some cases. An
example is ‘family’, which can be described individually or collectively as one unit.

Collective nouns can also vary depending on if British English or American English is
being used. For instance, the word ‘government’ is treated as singular in American
English, but as plural in British English!

What are some examples of collective nouns?

Now that we’ve answered the question of ‘what is a collective noun?’, let’s expand
our knowledge with a few examples. Read on to find loads of useful examples of
collective nouns that express groups of animals, people, or even things…

1) Collective nouns for animals:

You've probably heard of collective nouns used to describe animals before, like
a pack of wolves or herd of sheep. What you might not know, is that most of the
main animal groups have their own collective nouns, and some of them can be quite
bizarre. Here are a few of our favourites:

Singular Collective

Dolphin A pod

Bat A colony

Elephant A parade

Duck A brace

Hippos A bloat

Leopard A leap

Otter A raft

Pig A drove
Frog An army

Lemur A conspiracy

Kangaroos A mob

Ravens An unkindness

Shark A shiver

It’s important for us to note that, in many cases, people might not be familiar with
some of these fun but very specific collective nouns. In this case, they might indicate
a group of animals using more general collective nouns like ‘group’.

2) Collective nouns for people:

We know the answer to ‘what is a collective noun?’, but what are some nouns that
we can use to refer to organisations or groups of people? Here are a few examples:

 Team

 Group

 Collective

 Crowd

 Squad
  Posse

 Cohort

You might like to challenge your pupils to see if they can add a collective noun to this
list.

3) Collective nouns for objects:

Finally, there are also some collective nouns that we can use to refer to things or
inanimate objects. Here are a few examples of them:

Singular Collective

Shoe Pair

Hay Bale

Banana Bunch

Stick Bundle

Island Chain

Ship Fleet
Apartment Block

Tool Set

How do you use collective nouns in a sentence?

We’ve learned ‘what is a collective noun?’ and seen some examples, but how do you
use them? Here are some tips on how you and your learners could incorporate these
nouns into your writing:

 Singular and plural:

It can be tricky to know whether a collective noun should be treated as singular or

plural. Generally, collective nouns are treated as singular, but there might be
instances where we want to refer to them as plural. Here are some examples:

The team was in high spirits after winning the game.

The crew were all working at their stations.

In this second example, the ‘crew’ is treated as plural. This is because, despite being
a group of people, we can assume that it’s made up of individuals with their own
individual jobs to do. In this case, it is acceptable to refer to the collective noun as
plural.

 Avoid using the incorrect collective nouns:

Using an inappropriate collective noun is an easy trap to fall into, but it can affect
how our writing looks to the reader. Here are some examples:

A flock of wolves.

A punnet of screwdrivers.

 Experiment with collective nouns:

At the same time, don’t be afraid to experiment and try our collective nouns in places
they might not normally go. Sometimes, an unexpected use of a collective noun can
add unique meaning to a sentence.

For instance, the correct collective noun for piranhas is a shoal. However, saying
‘a swarm of deadly piranhas’ still makes sense and can have a powerful impact in
your writing.
Where can I find more resources on collective nouns?
If you’re looking for more resources to help teach your children about ‘what is a
collective noun?’, you’re in the right place. We have lots of exciting and informative
resources to bring your lessons about nouns and collective nouns to life.

Ready-made and made by teachers with curriculum goals in mind, our resources will
help you so that the next time a learner asks ‘what is a collective noun?’, you’ll have
the answer! Check out some of our top picks below:

 Our Collective Nouns PowerPoint will help teach your children all about the
basics of collective nouns and how and why we use them.
  This fun set of Collective Nouns Matching Cards is a great activity to help
your children understand collective nouns whilst giggling at some of the
unique and interesting names we use for collections of groups of animals.

 Our Collective Nouns Worksheet is a great resource to use in your lessons

to consolidate learning about collective nouns.

 This fun Collection of Slightly Unusual Collective Nouns PowerPoint is a

fantastic way to teach your children more about some of the unusual
collective nouns that we use in the English language.

Read more
If you've found this Teaching Wiki about collective nouns useful, then you might like
to learn more about other types of nouns.
  What is an Abstract Noun?

 What is a Concrete Noun?

 What is a Common Noun?

 What are Countable and Uncountable Nouns?

Related Searches

collective nouns worksheets collective nouns worksheet

collective nouns list nouns powerpoint

collective nouns animals collective nouns powerpoint

collective noun for food collective noun worksheet

comprehension collective nouns

Teach difficult concepts with ease, with the help of our weekly newsletter...
 
I'm in
What is a Collective Noun?
Collective Nouns Worksheet

I Spy With My Little Eye Activity

Colour by Types of Nouns

Gender Nouns Sorting Activity

Proper and Common Noun Sort Worksheet

Types of Nouns Display Posters

Identifying Abstract Nouns

Collective Nouns Crossword

Collective Nouns PowerPoint

Collective Nouns PowerPoint Quiz

Collective Nouns Matching Cards

Collective Nouns Groups of Animals Worksheet

Collective Nouns Word Search

Year 5 Collective Nouns Resource Pack

A Collection of Slightly Unusual Collective Nouns PowerPoint

Collective Nouns Display Poster

Second Grade Collective Nouns Poster

Collective Nouns Flashcards

Collective Nouns Loop Cards

A Collection of Slightly Unusual Collective Nouns PowerPoint

Get to know us
 About Us
  Media

 Partnerships

 Legal

 Modern Slavery Statement

 TwinklHive

 Ten2

Let us help you

 Help, FAQs & Contact Us

 Individual Memberships

 School Memberships

 Twinkl Teach Events

 Wellbeing Hub

 Careers

 Gift Vouchers

 Twinkl Store

Resources
 Middle East Resources

 Early Years

 UAE Primary

 ‫مواد تعليمية عربية‬

 Islamic Studies

 International Schools

 PYP/IB

 Leaders

 Secondary

 Age 11-16

 Age 11-16

 ESL

 Parents

 Lesson Plans

 Twinkl Original Books

 Twinkl Book Club

 Ultimate Twinkl Academic Planner

 Handwriting Schemes
 Interactive Resources & Games

 Dementia Support

 Morning Starter Activities

 EYFS Planning Materials

 Children's News

 PE Planning

 Phonics Schemes of Work

 PSHE, RSE & Wellbeing

 TEFL & ESL Resources

 Trainee Teacher Resources

 Senior Leadership Team Resources

 Teaching Assistants

 Rhino Readers Reading Scheme

 Private Tutors

 Product Overviews

 Online Lesson Videos

 Twinkl Party

 Twinkl Puzzled

 Twinkl Food & Recipes

 Twinkl Planners and Organisers

 Personalised Stationery

 Educational Resources

 Twinkl Stickers

 Twinkl+

 Twinkl Art Gallery

 Twinkl Perform

 Twinkl Crafts

 Twinkl Board Games

 Twinkl Essentials

 Librarians

 Twinkl Pets

 Plantcare

 3D and Augmented Reality Models

 Twinkl CPD
Tools
 Twinkl Create

 Blog

 Twinkl Digest Education News

 Teaching Calendar

 Teaching Wiki

 Parenting Wiki

 Classroom Displays

 Booklist

 Twinkl Font

 Twinkl Handwriting Font

 Twinkl Timer

 Image Library

 Educational Apps

 Report Writer

 OneStep CPD

 Homework Help

 School Directory

 Home Learning Support

 Guides

 Times Tables Assessment

 Twinkl Symbols

 Twinkl Spelling

 Twinkl Puzzleverse

Curriculum
 International School Curriculums

 EUROPE

 English National Curriculum

 Curriculum For Excellence (CfE)

 Adnoddau Cymraeg / Welsh Resources

 Northern Irish Curriculum

 Irish Curriculum

 Currículo español

 Programmes scolaires français

 Materialien auf Deutsch

 Risorse in Italiano

 Polska Materiały edukacyjne

 Materiale didactice în limba Română

 Εκπαιδευτικό Υλικό

 Recursos de Ensino para Portugal

 Türkiye Eğitim Materyalleri

 Het Nederlandse curriculum

 Russian curriculum / Российская программа

 Malta Teaching Resources

 Česká republika - vzdělávací materiály

 Switzerland Teaching Resources

 Gibraltar Teaching Resources

 Channel Islands Teaching Resources

 Isle of Man Teaching Resources

 ASIA

 Middle East Teaching Resources

 Kuwait National Curriculum / ‫منهج• دولة الكويت‬

 India Teaching Resources

 中文教学资源 / Chinese Teaching Resources

 ประเทศไทย/Thailand Curriculum

 Singapore Teaching Resources

 Malaysia Curriculum

 South Korea Teaching Resources

 Hong Kong Teaching Resources

 Vietnam Teaching Resources

 Pakistan Teaching Resources

 Qatar Teaching Resources

 Bahrain teaching resources

 知育・学習教材 (日本) Japan teaching resources

 Philippines Teaching Resources

 KSA teaching Resources ‫وسائل تعليمية للسعودية‬

 ‫ الوسائل التعليمية لمناهج اإلمارات‬UAE Teaching Resources

 Bahan Ajar Indonesia/ Indonesia Teaching Resources

  台灣教學資源 / Taiwan teaching resources

 AFRICA

 Egyptian Curriculums ‫مناهج مصر‬

 Suid-Afrika / South Africa Resources

 Nigeria Teaching Resources

 Kenya Teaching Resources

 Seychelles Teaching Resources

 AMERICAS

 United States Teaching Resources

 Canada Teaching Resources

 América Latina

 Recursos de Ensino para o Brasil

 Chile: Recursos Educativos

 México: recursos educativos

 Bermuda Teaching Resources

 Jamaica Teaching Resources

 Barbados Teaching Resources

 Bahamas Teaching Resources

 Cayman Islands Teaching Resources

 Trinidad and Tobago Teaching Resources

 Perú: Materiales educativos

 Colombia: Recursos Educativos

 Argentina: Recursos Educativos

 OCEANIA

 Australian Curriculum

 New Zealand Curriculum

‫مواد تعليمية عربية‬ 

 International Primary Curriculum (IPC)

International
 Twinkl AE - Resources for Teaching

 Twinkl AR - Recursos Docentes

 Twinkl AT - Bildungsressourcen

 Twinkl BE - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl BG - учебни материали

 Twinkl CA - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl CH - Unterrichtsmaterialien

 Twinkl CL - Recursos Docentes

 Twinkl CR - Material Educativo

 Twinkl ID - Bahan Ajar Indonesia

 Twinkl IL - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl IN - शिक्षण सामग्री सिखाना

 Twinkl KE - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl NZ - Teaching Resources

 ่ การสอน
Twinkl TH - สือ

 Twinkl UG - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl UK - Teaching Resources and Curriculum Support

 Twinkl ZA - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl USA - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl AU - Education Resources for Kids

 Twinkl BH - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl BN - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl BR - Atividades Educativas

 Twinkl CN - 英语教材

 Twinkl CO - material educativo

 Twinkl CY - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl ‫ أنشطة تعليمية لألطفال‬- EG

 Twinkl GH - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl HK - 學習英文教材

 Twinkl ‫ موارد تعليمية‬- KW

 Twinkl MT - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl MX - materiales educativos

 Twinkl NG - Educational Resources

 Twinkl PA - Material Educativo

 Twinkl PE - material educativo

 Twinkl PH - Detailed Lesson Plans

 Twinkl PK - Learning Resources

 Twinkl PR - material educativo

  Twinkl ‫ موارد تعليمية‬- SA

 Twinkl SE - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl SG - Learning Resources

 Twinkl TR - ilkokul etkinlik

 Twinkl TW - 學習英語教材

 Twinkl VN - giáo án điện tử

 Twinkl CZ - učební zdroje

 Twinkl DE - Unterrichtsmaterialien

 Twinkl DK - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl ES - Recursos Educativos

 Twinkl FI - Opetusresurssit

 Twinkl FR - Ressources Pédagogiques

 Twinkl GR - Εκπαιδευτικό Υλικό

 Twinkl HR - obrazovni resursi

 Twinkl HU - digitális oktatási eszközök

 Twinkl IE - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl IT - Risorse Didattiche

 Twinkl JP - 学習教材

 Twinkl KR - 대한민국 교육 자료

 Twinkl LK - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl LU - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl MD - Teaching Resources

 Twinkl NL - Lesmaterialen

 Twinkl NO - Lærerressurser

 Twinkl PL - Materiały Dla Nauczycieli

 Twinkl PT - Recursos Educativos

 Twinkl RO - Resurse Educaționale

 Twinkl SI - Učni viri

 Twinkl SK - vzdelávacie zdroje

 Help