Collective nouns, plurals and genders:

PEOPLE
an army of soldiers
a bevy(A large gathering of people of a
particular type) of beauties/girls
a band of musicians
a band of robbers
a board of directors
a body of men
a bunch of crooks
a caravan of gypsies
a choir of singers
a class of pupils
a class of students
a company of actors
a company of soldiers
a congregation(A group of people who
adhere to a common faith and
habitually attend a given church )of
worshippers
a crew of sailors
a crowd of spectators
a crowd of people
a dynasty of kings
a galaxy of beautiful women
a galaxy of film stars
a gang of crooks
a gang of labourers
a gang of prisoners
a gang of robbers
THINGS

a gang of thieves
a horde(crowd) of savages
a host of angels
a line of kings/rulers
a mob(A disorderly crowd of
people) of rioters(trouble makers)
a group of dancers
a group of singers
a pack of rascals
a pack of thieves
a party of friends
a patrol(A group that
goes through a region at regular
intervals for the purpose of
security) of policemen
a posse(A temporary
police force) of policemen
a regiment of soldiers
a staff of employees
a staff of servants
a staff of teachers
a team of players
a tribe of natives
a troop of scouts
a troupe of artistes
a troupe of dancers
a troupe of performers
a party of friends

an album of autographs
a hail of bullets
an album of photographs
a hand of bananas (each a finger)
an album of stamps
a harvest of wheat/corn
an anthology(A collection ) of poems
a heap of rubbish
an archipelago(A group of many islands a heap of ruins
in a large body of water) of islands
a hedge of bushes
a bale of cotton
a heap of stones
a basket of fruit
a layer of soil/dirt
a batch(All the loaves of bread baked at a library of books
the same time) of bread
a line of cars
a battery of guns
a list of names
a block of flats
a mass of ruins/hair
a book of exercises
a necklace of pearls
a book of notes
an outfit of clothes
a bouquet of flowers
an orchard of fruit trees
a bowl of rice
a pack of cards
a bunch of bananas
a pack of lies
a bunch of flowers
a packet of cigarettes
a bunch of grapes
a packet of letters
a bunch of keys
a pair of shoes
a bundle of rags/old clothes
a pencil of rays
a bundle of firewood/sticks
a quiver(Case for holding
a bundle of hay
arrows) of arrows
a catalogue(A complete list of things; a range of hills
usually arranged systematically) of
a range of mountains
prices/goods
a ream of paper
a chain of mountains
a reel of thread/film
a chest of drawers
a roll of film/cloth
a cluster of coconuts
a rope of pearls
a cluster of grapes
a row of houses
a cloud of dust
a series of events
a clump of bushes
a set of china
a clump of trees
a set of clubs
a collection of coins
a set of tools
a collection of curiosities
a sheaf(bundle)of arrows

a collection of pictures
a collection of relics
a collection of stamps
a column of smoke
a comb of bananas
a compendium(collection) of games
a constellation of stars
a cluster of diamonds
a cluster(A grouping of a number of
similar things) of stars
a clutch(A number of birds hatched at
the same time) of eggs
a crate of fruit
a crop of apples
a fall of rain
a fall of snow
a fleet of motor-cars/taxis
a fleet of ships
a flight of aeroplanes
a flight of steps
a forest of trees
a galaxy of stars
a garland of flowers
a glossary of difficult words/phrases
a group of islands
a grove(A small growth of trees without
underbrush) of trees

ANIMALS

a sheaf(A package of several

things tied together for carrying
or storing) of corn
a sheaf of grain
a sheaf of papers
a sheaf of wheat
a shower of blows
a shower of rain
a stack(An orderly pile) of arms
a stack of corn
a stack of hay
a stack of timber
a stack of wood
a stock of wood
a string of beads
a string of pearls
a suit of clothes
a suite(A matching set of
furniture) of furniture
a suite(Apartment consisting of
a series of connected rooms used
as a living unit (as in a hotel) of
rooms
a tuft(bunch) of grass
a tuft of hair
a wad of currency/notes
a wreath of flowers

an army of ants
a bevy of quail
a brood/flock of chickens
a catch of fish
a cloud of flies
a cloud of insects
a cloud of locusts
a colony of gulls
a drove of cattle
a drove of horses
a flight of birds
a flight of doves
a flight of locusts
a flight of swallows
a flock of birds
a flock of geese
a flock of sheep
a gaggle of geese
a haul of fish
a herd of buffaloes
a herd of cattle
a herd of deer
a herd of elephants
a herd of goats
a herd of swine
a hive of bees
a host of sparrows
a kindle of kittens
a litter of cubs
a litter of piglets

By adding s
Singular

Plural

a litter of kittens
a litter of puppies
a menagerie of wild animals
a muster of peacocks
a nest of ants
a nest of mice
a nest of rabbits
a pack of hounds
a pack of wolves
a plague of insects
a plague of locusts
a pride of lions
a school of herrings/other
small fish
a school of porpoises
a school of whales
a shoal of fish
a skein of wild geese in flight
a string of horses
a stud of horses
a swarm of ants
a swarm of bees
a swarm of insects
a swarm of locusts
a team of horses
a team of oxen
a train of camels
a tribe of goats
a troop of lions
a troop of monkeys
a zoo of wild animals

Singular

Plural

Ant
Bicycle
Cow
Daughter
Egg
Flower
Grape
House
Jug
King

Ants
Bicycles
Cows
daughters
Eggs
Flowers
Grapes
Houses
Jugs
Kings

lock
magazine
nose
orange
picture
rose
spoonful
toy
vase
well

Locks
magazines
Noses
Oranges
Pictures
Roses
Spoonfuls
Toys
Vases
Wells

By adding -es to nouns ending in ch, -s, -sh, -ss, and x

Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
Beach
Beaches
dish
Dishes
Inch
Inches
thrush
Thrushes
Match
Matches
boss
Bosses
Watch
Watches
dress
Dresses
Bus
Buses
glass
Glasses
octopus
octopuses
kiss
Kisses
syllabus
syllabuses
box
Boxes
Virus
Viruses
fox
Foxes
Brush
Brushes
six
Sixes
Bush
Bushes
tax
Taxes

By adding s to nouns ending in o

Singular
Plural
Singular
dynamo
dynamos
studio
Photo
Photos
tattoo
Piano
Pianos
torso
Radio
Radios
trio
Solo
Solos
zero

Plural
Studios
Tattoos
Torsos
Trios
Zeros

By adding -es to nouns ending in o

Singular
Plural
Singular
buffalo
buffaloes
potato
Echo
Echoes
tomato
Hero
Heroes
tornado
mosquito
mosquitoes
veto
Negro
Negroes

Plural
Potatoes
Tomatoes
tornadoes
Vetoes

By adding s or es to nouns ending in o

Singular
Plural
Singular Plural
Banjo
banjos/banjoes memento mementos/mementoe
s
archipelago
archipelagos/es peccadillo peccadillos/es
Cargo
cargos/cargoes lasso
lassos/lassoes
mango
mango/mangoes indigo
Indigos/indigoes
Motto
mottos/mottoes volcano
volcanos/volcanoes
By changing y into ies if a noun ends in a consonant before
the y
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
beauty
Beauties
fairy
Fairies
Cherry
Cherries
family
Families
Curry
Curries
nappy
Nappies
Diary
Diaries
spy
Spies
Duty
Duties
theory
Theories
By adding s if there is a vowel before the y
Singular
Plural
Singular
chimney
chimneys
kidney
donkey
Donkeys
monkey
Guy
Guys
toy
Jersey
Jerseys
trolley
Key
Keys
valley

Plural
Kidneys
Monkeys
Toys
Trolleys
Valleys

By changing f or fe into ves

Singular
Plural
Calf
Calves
Elf
Elves
Half
Halves
Knife
Knives
Leaf
Leaves

Singular
life
loaf
sheaf
thief
wife

By adding s to nouns ending in f or fe

Singular
Plural
Singular
Chef
Chefs
handcuff
Chief
Chiefs
reef
Cliff
Cliffs
roof
Giraffe
Giraffes
safe
Gulf
Gulfs
sheriff

Plural
Lives
Loaves
Sheaves
Thieves
Wives

Plural
handcuffs
Reefs
Roofs
Safes
Sheriffs

By adding s or changing f into

ves
Singular
Plural
Dwarf
dwarf/dwarves
handkerchief
Handkerchiefs/ve
s
Hoof
hoof/hooves
Scarf
scarfs/scarves
Turf
turfs/turves
Wharf
wharfs/wharves
By changing the vowels
Singular
Plural
Axis
Axes
Cactus
Cacti

Singular
goose
louse

Plural
geese
lice

Crisis
emporium
fungus

Crises
mouse
emporia/emporium oasis
s
fungus/funguses tooth

By adding en or ren
Singular
Plural
Ox
Oxen

Singular
child

By changing the vowels

Singular
Plural
Singular
Axis
Axes
goose
Cactus
Cacti
louse
Crisis
Crises
mouse
emporium
emporia/emporium oasis
s
fungus
fungi/funguses
tooth

mice
oases
teeth

Plural
children

Plural
geese
lice
mice*
oases
teeth

* For computer mouse, the plural is mice or mouses.

The plural and singular forms of some nouns are the same
Advice
Advice
knowledge
knowledge
aircraft
Aircraft
music
music
baggage
baggage
news
news
Cattle
Cattle
offspring
offspring
Cod
Cod
scenery
scenery
Deer
Deer
series
series
Fish
fish**
sheep
sheep
furniture
Furniture
species
species
information
information

** More than one fish of the same species. Fishes are the plural of more
than one species of fish.

Common Errors- plural compound forms and gender forms

MASCULINE
Actor

FEMININE
Actress/actor

author

Authoress/author

bachelor

spinster

boy

girl

Boy Scout

Girl Guide

brave

Squaw

bridegroom

bride

brother

sister

conductor

conductress/conductor

count

countess

czar

czarina

dad

mum

daddy

mummy

duke

duchess

emperor

empress

father

mother

father-in-law

mother-in-law

fiance

fiancee

gentleman

lady

giant

giantess/giant

god

goddess

governor

matron

grandfather

grandmother

headmaster

headmistress

heir

heiress/heir

hero

heroine

host

hostess/host

hunter

huntress/hunter

husband

wife

king

queen

lad

lass

landlord

landlady

lord

lady

man

woman

manager

manageress/manger

manservant

maidservant

master

mistress

mayor

mayoress/mayor

milkman

milkmaid

millionaire

millionaires/millionaire

monitor

monitress/monitor

monk

nun

Mr.

Mrs.

murderer

Murderess/murderer

nephew

niece

papa

mama

poet

poetess/poet

policeman

policewoman

postman

postwoman

postmaster

postmistress

priest

priestess/priest

prince

princess

prophet

prophetess/prophet

proprietor

proprietress/proprietor

protector

protectress/protector

shepherd

shepherdess

sir

madam

son

daughter

son-in-law

daughter-in-law

step-father

step-mother

step-son

step-daughter

steward

stewardess

sultan

sultana

tailor

tailoress/tailor

uncle

aunt

waiter

waitress

washerman

washerwoman

widower

widow

wizard

witch

CREATURES

MASCULINE
billy-goat

FEMININE
nanny-goat

boar (pig)

sow

buck (deer, hare)

doe

buck-rabbit

doe-rabbit

bull

cow

bull-elephant

cow-elephant

bull-seal

cow-seal

bullock

heifer

bull-seal

cow-seal

bull-whale

cow-whale

cob (swan)

pen

cock (rooster)

hen

cockerel

pullet

cock-pigeon

hen-pigeon

cock-sparrow

hen-sparrow

colt (young horse)

filly

dog

bitch

drake

duck

drone

bee

eagle

eagle

fox

vixen

gander

goose

hawk

bowess

he-bear

she-bear

he-goat

she-goat

he-wolf

she-wolf

jack-ass

jenny-ass, she-ass

leopard

leopardess

lion

lioness

peacock

peahen

ram (sheep)

ewe

stag

hind

stallion

mare

tiger

tigress

tom-cat

tabby-cat

turkey-cock

turkey-hen

wolf

she-wolf