Collective Nouns

A collective noun is used to refer to a group of people, things or animals.

Some common collective nouns 1. army soldiers 2. bouquet flowers

There was an army of soldiers marching on the field.

Encik Jalil bought a bouquet of flowers for his wife.

3. comb bananas

4. flock birds/sheep/goats

There is a comb of bananas on the shelf.

Jeremy saw a flock of birds flying south for the winter.

5. school fish/whales/dolphins

6. set tools/china

I saw a large school of fish in the sea.

He bought a set of tools from the supermarket.

7. swarm bees/insects

8. team players/doctors

The whole team of players cheered when they won A swarm of bees attacked Vijay last week. the game.

More collective nouns

For people an audience of people a band of musicians/bandits a bevy of girls/beauties a bench of magistrates a board of directors a class of pupils/scholars a company of soldiers/actors a congregation of worshippers a crowd of spectators/people a choir of singers a crew of sailors

a field of runners a gang of thieves/labourers/prisoners/convicts/ criminals a horde of savages a host of angels a party of friends a posse of policemen a staff of teachers/servants a tribe of natives a troop of Boy Scouts a troupe of jugglers/dancers

For thing an album of photographs an anthology of poems a bale of cotton/wool/cloth a block of flats/apartments a bowl of rice/soup a bunch of grapes/keys a bundle of sticks/flags a cache of jewels a chain of islands a chest of drawers a collection of stamps/antiques/pictures a hedge of bushes a kit of tools a library of books a list of names a batch of bread or cookies a mass of ruins a pack of cards a packet of cigarettes a pair of shoes/trousers/socks/spectacles a pile of papers/stones a quiver of arrows

a cluster of stars/diamonds a clump of trees a crate of fruits/apples/oranges a fleet of ships/motorcars/vessels a flight of stairs a forest of trees a galaxy of stars a hail of bullets a heap of rubbish/stones

a range of mountains/hills a ring of fire a suit of clothes a sheaf of wheat a stack of hay a string of pearls/beads a tuft of grass a volley of bullets a wreath of flowers For animals

an army of ants/insects a band of gorillas a brood of chickens a colony of seals, bats a flight of swallows a flock of sheeps a gaggle of geese a herd of cattle/elephants/buffaloes a hive of bees

a host of sparrows a litter of puppies/kittens/cubs a nest of rabbits/mice/snakes/ants a pack of wolves a pride of lions a plague of locusts/insects a shoal of herring/fish a team of oxen/horses a troop of monkeys