Collective nouns

A definition of collective nouns

Collective nouns are nouns that describe a collection, such as “pack,” “gang,” and “flock.” They can be used to describe groups of people, animals or objects. For example:

• A pack of dogs
• A gang of thugs
• A flock of sheep

They are used with both singular and plural verbs, but the rules on this are not strict.  Usage of single or plural verbs reflects your definition of a collective noun as a single unit or a grouping of individuals.

Collective nouns are considered one of the ‘oddities’ of the English language, with a large amount of terms used. Some of these a pretty unusual, such as:

• A parliament of owls
• A smack of jellyfish
• A cowardice of curs

Using verbs with collective nouns – singular or plural?

A verb is a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, and forming the main part of the predicate of a sentence.

Should we use singular or plural verbs when using collective nouns? This depends. For example, when using the collective noun ‘couple’, are you describing them as separate people? If so, then you would use the plural:

The couple are supporting different football teams.

But if you are treating the couple as a single unit, you would use a singular verb, as in the example below:

Each couple is choosing which hotel to stay at.

There are no hard rules. You should judge the use of singular or plural verbs on each different situation to reflect if you are thinking of the couple as a single unit or individuals.

While use of singular or plural verbs can depend on the message you’re trying to get across and if you’re taking a British or American approach, some strict rules do apply when using the names of institutions.
The singular verb is considered the proper approach to use for institutions like the House of Commons or Congress. For example, “The House of Commons is in session”. This reflects that institutions are seen as a single unit.

How to Use Collective Nouns
People who are new to writing often encounter some trouble with sentence agreement when using collective nouns. This is understandable, because a collective noun can be singular or plural, depending on a sentence’s context. How do you know if a collective noun is singular? How can you tell if it’s plural? What pronouns and verbs are best for pairing with the collective noun you’ve chosen?
Here’s a simple trick you can use to decide how to use collective nouns in sentences: Imagine a herd of zebras grazing peacefully on the savanna. Suddenly, a lion jumps out of a clump of tall grass. What do the zebras do? They run away as a single unit as they attempt to make a getaway, galloping across the savanna in the same direction.
Often, people behave in the same way, engaging in a single activity in unison with everyone else in their group. When individuals are in a team, a choir, a committee, or part of any other collective noun, that noun is singular and is paired with singular pronouns and singular verbs. As you read the examples that follow, notice that each individual who is part of the collective noun is doing the same action at the same time as others who are part of that collective noun.
• Every morning, the herd follows its leader to the watering hole for a drink.
Herd is a singular collective noun. Follows is a singular verb, and the word its is a singular pronoun. All the animals in the herd arrive at the watering hole at the same time.

• Today, Ms. Kennedy’s class takes its SOL test.
Class is a singular collective noun. Takes is a singular verb, and the word its is a singular pronoun. All the students in Ms. Kennedy’s class are taking the same test at the same time.

• The committee agrees that people are misusing their cell phones, so its verdict is that phones must not be used during working hours.

Committee is a singular collective noun. Agrees is a singular verb, and the word its is a singular pronoun. All the members of the committee are thinking alike.

Now imagine three teenagers in the living room. Are they all doing the same thing at once? Not likely! One is watching TV intently. Another is reading a book and listening to music. The third has one eye on the TV and the other on his computer. There is a single group of teenagers, but the members of the group are doing different things.
Members of collective nouns can act the same way, as individuals doing their own thing. When members of a collective noun act as individuals, that collective noun is plural and must be paired with plural pronouns and plural verbs. As you read the following examples, you’ll notice that members of the collective noun are not functioning in unison.
• After eight hours sitting in the stuffy courtroom, the jury stretch, look at their watches, and head to their cars for the commute home.

Jury is a plural collective noun in this instance. Stretch, look, and head are plural verbs, and their is a plural pronoun. The members of the jury are stretching and looking at their individual watches before they head to different cars to go to their own homes.

• After taking a test, the class start their papers on Shakespeare’s sonnets.

Class is a plural collective noun in this instance. Start is a plural verb, and their is a plural pronoun. Although the students are in the same class, they are beginning their own papers on different sonnets written by Shakespeare.
What happens if you can’t decide whether a collective noun is singular or plural? You can use different words to compose your sentence to be sure there is no agreement error. For example, you can insert the word “members” after a collective noun or use a different word such as “players” instead of “team” or “zebras” instead of “herd” or “students” instead of “class.” Reread what you have written to be sure it sounds natural, and give yourself some time to practice. Soon enough you’ll be able to use plural verbs without worrying whether you have made mistakes.