A collective noun is a noun that refers to some sort of group or collective—of people, animals, things, etc. Collective nouns are normally not treated as plural, even though they refer to a group of something.
Are collective nouns singular or plural?
Collective nouns are most commonly treated as singular (i.e., used with singular verb forms like “is”), but usage varies between US and UK English:
In US English, it’s standard to always treat collective nouns as singular.
In UK English, either way is acceptable, and usage tends to vary depending on the context.
A colony of ants
A kindle of kittens
A litter of puppies
A bed of clams
A shiver of sharks
A horde of hamsters
These days the only collective noun I seem to see in everyday use for everything is a bunch.
ReplyDeleteA congress of baboons.
ReplyDeleteHahahaha...perfect!
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