Collective Noun
Definition:
A collective noun is a noun that refers to a group of entities that may be considered either as individuals or as one larger entity.
Discussion:
A collective noun may:
- agree grammatically with the verb either as a singular noun or as a plural noun, and
- take either a singular or plural pronoun.
Examples:
(English)
Club
Examples:
- It is a large club.
- They are a large club.
Gang
Examples:
- The gang’s all here.
- The gang are all here.
See Also:
Source:
This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library. Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003.