Collective nouns are words that describe groups of people, animals, or things. They are used to refer to a group as a single entity, rather than as individual members. For example:
- Team: This is a group of people working together towards a common goal. A team can be made up of players on a sports team, employees in a company, or members of a research group.
- Flock: This is a group of birds, such as geese or sheep. A flock of birds or sheep can move together in a coordinated way, as if they are one entity.
- Pride: This is a group of lions. A pride of lions is made up of females, males, and cubs, and they work together to hunt and protect their territory.
- School: This is a group of fish swimming together. A school of fish can be seen as a single entity, as they move and behave as a unit.
Collective nouns are often used to describe groups of animals, but they can also be used to describe groups of people or things. For example, “A group of friends,” or “A fleet of ships.”
It is important to recognize the difference between collective nouns and singular nouns. Singular nouns describe one person, animal, or thing, such as “bird,” “lion,” or “friend.” Collective nouns describe a group of people, animals, or things, such as “flock,” “pride,” or “group.”