Collective Nouns

1. “A Bed of clams”
“A School of fish”
Have you ever heard these words before?

2. Complete the sentences using one of the following verbs. Sometimes
you need the negative.
Rise Close Open Speak Live Eat Go Tell
Ann.................... English very well.
The swimming pool ………………..at 9 O’clock and
………………..at 18:30.
My parents ....................in a very small flat.
The Sun ....................in the west.
A liar is someone who ....................the truth.
Vegetarians ....................meat.
The Earth ....................round the sun.

3. Nouns refer to people, animals, places, things, or ideas.
To form the plural of many nouns, add -
s
, for example:
One Dog – Six dogs. A ship – Ten ships.
Look at these examples:
He is a football player. /They are soldiers.

4. 
Collective nouns
: are words used to refer to a group of things, people, animals, etc.
Each collective noun is a single thing. That thing, however, is made up of more than
one item or person.
Do you know any collective nouns in Spanish?
What do you call a group of… dogs/fish/bees… ?
Look at these examples: 
The jury was unanimous in its decision.
The jury (members) were divided in their decision.
Collective nouns can be used in both Singular as well as Plural form. If the members
of the collective noun behave in the same manner, we take it as a singular noun and
if the members are acting as individuals, the collective noun has to be considered as
a plural collective noun.
The audience has arrived. / The audience have arrived.
What is the difference between the sentences listed above?

5. Herd: Group of
grazing
ungulates: cattle
(cows),
antelope, and
bison
Pack: Group of
social carnivores
that hunt
together: wolves,
hounds (a type
of dog), coyotes

6. Flock: A group
of birds (sheep
being a notable
exception):
geese, seagulls,
and sheep.
Pod: A group of
large marine
mammals in the
ocean: whales,
dolphins, killer
whales.

7. Colony: A group
that has
established itself
at a particular
location: seals,
bats, ants.
Troop: A group
of simians:
Gorillas,
monkeys,
baboons.

8. Swarm: A
mass of
insects: Bees,
flies, locusts.
Litter: Group of
newborn animals
(of the same
mother): puppies,
kittens, pigs.

9. Team: A group
of animals used
by people for
pulling: dogs,
horses, oxen
(cows)
 /
School Shoal
: A
group of fish.
Herring,
mackerel, tuna.

10. Bed: A group of
animals (usually
immobile) attached
to one particular
plot of land.
Oysters, clams,
mussels.

12. 
ExerciseII
. Fill in the blanks using the correct form of the verb in
brackets.
Every afternoon the baseball team ……………. (Follow) its coach
out to the hot field for practice. 
Today, Dr. Ribley's class…………… (Take) its first exam.
The jury…………… (Agree) that the state prosecutors did not
provide enough evidence, so its verdict is not guilty.
After the long exam, the class…………… (Start) their research
papers on famous mathematicians.
The jury…………… (Disagree) about the guilt of the accused.