Definition:Collective comes from the same root as collection. A collective noun names a group, which is like a collection of people or things.
family
team
choir
jury
committee
herd
pod
Hint:
Put the word in this test sentence to see if it works: One ______ is a group.
One team is a group.
One jury is a group.
One herd is a group.
Beware of plurals! Students can be a group, but that doesn't make the word collective. It is plural. Remember to use the test sentence One ____ is a group.
One student is not a group.
Hint:
It is important to be able to identify collective nouns because of the way they agree with verbs. We will cover this topic in Verbs: Agreement and Challenges, Lesson 3.
Practice What You've Learned
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Click on the collective noun or nouns in each group. Phrases have been added to some words to clarify their uses. Click only the collective noun, not the phrase.