Exercise 1: Identify the collective nouns

Read the following sentences and underline the collective nouns.

1. The captain guided the team to play better.

2. The flock of sheep was grazing in the fields.
3. My father brought a bouquet of lilies for my mother.
4. A pack of wolves howled at night.
5. A swarm of bees flew into the garden.
6. The hunter carries a quiver of arrows.
7. Our cat gave birth to a litter of kittens.
8. The army marched forward on the battlefield.
9. Can you pass me the bunch of keys?
10. The French destroyed the Armenian fleet.
11. Do you know about the cast of this movie?
12. The crew struggled to lead the ship past the stormy waves.
13. The board decided to appoint Riya as the Manager.
14. Please clean the pile of garbage.
15. The entire medical staff got infected by the Coronavirus.
16. The Beatles is a famous band.
17. The troupe performed the Macbeth drama.
18. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands comprise a group of 573 islands.
19. The jury passed a unanimous decision.
20. A cloud of dust swirled up during the storm.

Exercise 2: Guess the collective noun

1. A number of people listening to a lecture/concert
2. A group of people who sing in the church or public platforms
3. A number of judges who are engaged in a case
4. A collection of tools
5. A collection of poems
6. A collection of different types of books
7. A number of grapes or nuts on a bunch
8. A collection of ducks, chickens or fowls
9. A number of directors of any institution
10. A number of lions
11. A number of stars in the sky
12. A group of bacteria
13. A group of penguins
14. A group of fish
15. A number of cards

Answers –
1. Team
2. Flock
3. Bouquet
 4. Pack
5. Swarm
6. Quiver
7. Litter
8. Army
9. Bunch
10. Fleet
11. Cast
12. Crew
13. Board
14. Pile
15. Staff
16. Band
17. Troupe
18. Group
19. Jury
20. Cloud

Answers –
1. Audience
2. Choir
3. Jury/Panel
4. Set
5. Anthology
6. Library
7. Cluster
8. Poultry
9. Board
10. Pride
11. Constellation
12. Culture
13. Rookery or Colony
14. Shoal or School
15. Deck

Examples of Collective Nouns

Here are some examples of collective nouns.
Collective Nouns for Animals
 Collective noun for bees – Swarm
 Collective noun for fish – Shoal or School
 Collective noun for sheep – Herd
 Collective noun for ships – Fleet
 Collective noun for birds – Flock
 Collective noun for lions – Pride
 Collective noun for wolves – Pack
  Collective noun for ants – Colony
Collective Nouns for People
 Collective noun for actors – Troupe, Company or Cast
 Collective noun for soldiers – Army
 Collective noun for musicians – Band
 Collective noun for warriors – Troop
 Collective noun for directors – Board
 Collective noun for sailors – Crew
 Collective noun for singers – Choir
 Collective noun for dancers – Group
 Collective noun for thieves – Pack
 Collective noun for players – Team
 Collective noun for delegates – Delegation
 Collective noun for judges – Panel or Bench
Collective Nouns for Objects/Things
 Collective noun for cards – Deck/Pack
 Collective noun for cigarettes – Packet
 Collective noun for mountains – Range
 Collective noun for apples – Bushel
 Collective noun for bananas – Comb
 Collective noun for grapes – Bunch
 Collective noun for flowers – Bunch or Bouquet
 Collective noun for trees – Grove or Forest
Collective Noun Examples Used in Sentences
Have a look at the following sentences.
 Tommy was excited to see a herd of elephants on the way to his native place.
 The bench of judges gave the verdict on the case.
 The kid enjoyed seeing the flock of pigeons take off all at once.
 The football team was congratulated by the principal.
 The mob was getting crazier with time.
 The event started with the band playing the school anthem.
 The children learnt how to perform a magic trick with a pack of cards pretty soon.
 The British army was defeated in World War II.
Test Your Knowledge on Collective Nouns
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate collective nouns:
1. A ____________ of cows
2. A ____________ of robbers
3. A ____________ of musicians
4. A ____________ of kittens
5. A ____________ of puppies
6. A ____________ of cattle
7. A ____________ of rumours
8. A ____________ of clams
9. A ____________ of sharks
10. A ____________ of hamsters
Why don’t you check if you got it all right?
 1. A herd of cows
2. A gang of robbers
3. A band of musicians
4. A kindle of kittens
5. A litter of puppies
6. A herd of cattle
7. A nest of rumours
8. A bed of clams
9. A shiver of sharks
10. A horde of hamsters

A fleet of airplanes A hive of bees

A fleet of ships A flock of sheep
A colony of ants A swarm of bees
A swarm of ants A flock of birds
A quiver of arrows A library of books
A culture of bacteria An army of caterpillars
A class of students An army of frogs
A sloth of bears A deck of cards
A herd of cattle A pack of dogs
A school of fish A bouquet of flowers
A litter of kittens A litter of puppies
A mob of kangaroos A pride of lions
A troop of kangaroos A pride of peacocks
A troop of monkeys A range of mountains
A tribe of monkeys A parliament of owls
A herd of zebra A herd of deer
A herd of buffalo A herd of antelope
A galaxy of stars A den of thieves
A pack of wolves A den of snakes
An orchard of trees A host of sparrows
A forest of trees A division of soldiers
A nest of mice An army of soldiers
A nest of snakes A squad of soldiers
A team of horses A panel of experts
A team of players A squad of players
A team of oxen A leap of leopards
A school of whales A bunch of keys
A collection of coins A bundle of sticks
An army of ants A band of musicians

A tribe of goats A train of camels

A cluster of coconuts A ream of paper