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 Encik Jalil bought a bouquet of flowers for his
on the field. wife.

4. flock birds/sheep/goats
3. comb bananas

Jeremy saw a flock of birds flying south for the

There is a comb of bananas on the shelf.
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
 A swarm of bees attacked Vijay last
week. The whole team of players cheered when they
won the game.
More collective nouns
For people
a field of runners
a gang of thieves/labourers/prisoners/convicts/
an audience of people
criminals
a band of musicians/bandits
a horde of savages
a bevy of girls/beauties
a host of angels
a bench of magistrates
a party of friends
a board of directors
a posse of policemen
a class of pupils/scholars
a staff of teachers/servants
a company of soldiers/actors
a tribe of natives
a congregation of worshippers
a troop of Boy Scouts
a crowd of spectators/people
a troupe of jugglers/dancers
a choir of singers
a crew of sailors

For thing
an album of photographs a hedge of bushes
an anthology of poems a kit of tools
a bale of cotton/wool/cloth a library of books
a block of flats/apartments a list of names
a bowl of rice/soup a batch of bread or cookies
a bunch of grapes/keys a mass of ruins
a bundle of sticks/flags a pack of cards
a cache of jewels a packet of cigarettes
a chain of islands a pair of shoes/trousers/socks/spectacles
a chest of drawers a pile of papers/stones
a collection of stamps/antiques/pictures a quiver of arrows
a cluster of stars/diamonds a range of mountains/hills
a clump of trees a ring of fire
a crate of fruits/apples/oranges a suit of clothes
a fleet of ships/motorcars/vessels a sheaf of wheat
a flight of stairs a stack of hay
a forest of trees a string of pearls/beads
a galaxy of stars a tuft of grass
a hail of bullets a volley of bullets
a heap of rubbish/stones a wreath of flowers
 For animals
an army of ants/insects a host of sparrows
a band of gorillas a litter of puppies/kittens/cubs
a brood of chickens a nest of rabbits/mice/snakes/ants
a colony of seals, bats a pack of wolves
a flight of swallows a pride of lions
a flock of sheeps a plague of locusts/insects
a gaggle of geese a shoal of herring/fish
a herd of cattle/elephants/buffaloes a team of oxen/horses
a hive of bees a troop of monkeys