Collective nouns

A noun that names a group of people, animals or things as one unit: team (players), herd (cows), flock (sheep or birds), bunch (keys or flowers), fleet (ships). It is singular in form even though it means many: one team, several teams.

A herd of cows, a flock of sheep, a swarm of bees, a school of fish, a pride of lions, a pack of wolves, a troop of monkeys, a colony of ants, a team of players, a class of students, an army of soldiers, a crew of sailors, a choir of singers, a crowd of people, a gang of thieves, a bunch of keys, a bouquet of flowers, a fleet of ships, a galaxy of stars and a pair of shoes.

The chart on this page shows 40 of the most common, and the lists below give 96 in three groups (animals, people and things), each with an example sentence. Learn the everyday ones first: herd, flock, swarm, school, pack, team, class, crew, crowd, bunch, fleet, pair and set.

It can take either, depending on meaning. When the group acts as one unit, use a singular verb: “The team is top of the league.” When you mean the individual members, British English often uses a plural verb: “The team are arguing among themselves.” American English nearly always uses the singular. Be consistent within a sentence.

A school or a shoal of fish. Scientists use school for fish swimming together in the same direction, and shoal for any group of fish; in everyday English both are correct. Example: “A school of tiny silver fish swam past the boat.”

A flock of sheep. The same word is used for birds and for goats in some contexts, and a church’s members are sometimes called a flock too. Example: “The shepherd led his flock of sheep up the hill at dawn.” It is the answer most grammar tests expect.

A swarm of bees when they are flying together; a hive or colony for the bees living in one home. Example: “A swarm of bees settled on the branch.” Colony is also the word scientists use for all the bees of one nest, including the queen.

A pride of lions. It is one of the best-known collective nouns, and it is used only for lions. A pride is usually a family group of related females, their young and a few adult males. Example: “A pride of lions rested in the shade of a tree.”

A flock of birds. Some birds have their own: a gaggle of geese, a murmuration of starlings, and traditional ones such as a murder of crows and a parliament of owls. Example: “A flock of birds flew south for the winter.”

A fleet of ships. Fleet is also used for cars, taxis, buses and aircraft owned by one company: “a fleet of taxis”. A small group of ships sailing together, especially warships, can also be called a squadron or a flotilla. Example: “A fleet of fishing boats left the harbour.”

A herd of cows (or cattle). Herd is also used for elephants, goats, deer, buffaloes and zebras. A herd usually means animals that live and feed together. Example: “A herd of cows was grazing in the field.” For cattle being moved along a road, you may also hear a drove of cattle.

A bunch of flowers, or a bouquet when they are arranged as a gift. A garland is flowers strung together. A small bunch tied together is a posy, and flowers set in a vase or basket are an arrangement. Example: “She gave her mother a bunch of flowers.”

A galaxy of stars, or a constellation for a group that forms a pattern in the sky, or a cluster. Galaxy is also used figuratively: “a galaxy of film stars”. In school grammar tests, galaxy and constellation are the usual answers.

Every collective noun is a common noun, but most common nouns are not collective. Dog names one animal; pack names a group of dogs. The test: if the word means a group of individuals, it is collective. Proper nouns are different again: they name one particular person, place or thing.

Team, class, crew, choir, band, orchestra, crowd, audience, staff, committee, board, jury, panel, army, gang, family, tribe, faculty, delegation and congregation. The list above gives each with an example sentence. Most of these can take a singular or a plural verb in British English, depending on whether you mean the group as one unit or its members.

Not as a named task, but they come up in reading passages and are useful in writing and speaking. Subject–verb agreement with collective nouns (“the team is” or “the team are”) is also a grammar point that markers notice in Write About the Photo and the Writing Sample.

A murder of crows, a parliament of owls, a flamboyance of flamingos, a tower of giraffes and a kaleidoscope of butterflies. Most are traditional or playful rather than everyday English, so use them for fun, not in an exam answer where a plain word (a flock, a group) is safer.