Language Structure
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Collective nouns

Collective nouns

Collective nouns refer to a group of people, animals, objects, or concepts or ideas as a single entity.
Got this? OK then, try this quiz: Collective Nouns
Using collective nouns in your writing can sometimes be confusing because it's not quite certain to ascertain whether to use plural or singular verbs and pronouns. You first have to identify whether the collective noun refers to a group or a unit working as individuals or in unison.
  • When the unit is acting in unison, it is appropriate to use the singular.
  • When the members of the unit are acting as individuals, it is appropriate to use plural forms of verbs and pronouns.
For example,
  • The class waits  for its teacher quietly. (The class is  a unit acting in unison.)
  • The class begin (plural verb) their new term with exams because they (plural pronoun) had not done them properly the first time. 
This website contains all the video tutorials and information directly useful for the various chapters of the course textbook.
  • Home
    • Contact
    • About me
    • How to study grammar
    • Learning method
  • Essentials
    • Abbreviation List
    • Sentences used for study
    • Levels of analysis
    • Finite (non-finite) verbs
    • Head of subject
    • Function & form
    • P at clause level
    • Clausal patterns
    • Sentence vs clause
    • Basic syntax trees
  • Levels of analysis
    • What is grammar?
    • Sentence level
    • Clause level >
      • Adverbial Complement
      • Objective Predicative (Po)
    • Phrase level
    • Word level
    • More syntax trees
  • Noun Phrase
    • Complex Noun Phrases
    • (un) Countable nouns
    • Apostrophe
    • Irregular-foreign plurals
    • Articles and nouns
    • Collective nouns
    • that or which ?
  • Verb Phrase
    • Finite (non-finite) verbs
    • Lexical-Auxiliary verb
    • Modal auxiliares
    • Marginal modals
    • Tense and Aspect
    • Mood
    • Passive-active
    • Progressive-simple
  • Word Class
    • Adjectives
    • Adverbs
    • Adverbial
    • Pronouns
  • Other stuff
    • Numerals
    • Prepositions
    • non Finite Clauses
    • that Clauses
    • Uses of IT
    • Cleft Sentence
    • Conjunctions
    • Ellipted Subject
    • Fixing your writing >
      • Sentence overload
      • Run-on & Comma Splice
  • Send-in Tasks
  • Self-Study Tasks
  • Online seminars
  • Exam(s)
    • Exam questions
    • Exam Preparation
  • Course Info-schedule