English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate » Unit 87: Collective nouns

Word List
  • cast
  • clump
  • company
  • couple
  • crew
  • crowd
  • flock
  • gang
  • group
  • heap
  • herd
  • pack
  • pair
  • pile
  • public
  • range
  • row
  • set
  • shoal
  • stack
  • staff
  • swarm
  • team
  • bunch
Exercises

87.1 ‣ Fill each gap with a suitable collective noun.

  1. There are of mosquitoes in the forests in Scandinavia in the summer.
  2. As we looked into the water, we saw a _____ of brightly coloured fish.
  3. There was a _____ of youths on the corner; they didn't look very friendly.
  4. There's a _____ of cards on the bookshelf. Will you fetch them for me, please?
  5. A _____ of biologists is studying marine life in this area.
  6. Look at that _____ of birds on that tree. Both of them have beautiful markings. I wonder what they are?
  7. Could you put a _____ of spoons of sugar in this coffee for me, please? It's very bitter. Yes, just two, that's fine. Thanks.

87.2 ‣ In each case, one of the examples is wrong. Which one?

  1. Company is often used for _____.
    • actors
    • swimmers
    • opera singers
  2. Cast is often used for people in _____.
    • a play
    • a book
    • a film
  3. Crew is often used for the staff of _____.
    • an ambulance
    • a plane
    • a hospital
  4. Pack is often used for _____.
    • cats
    • dogs
    • wolves
  5. Flock is often used for _____.
    • sheep
    • pigeons
    • pigs
  6. Herd is often used for _____.
    • cows
    • fish
    • goats

87.3 ‣ Match the collective nouns on the left with the words on the right.

  1. a clump of
  2. a range of _____
  3. a gang of _____
  4. a swarm of _____
  5. a row of _____
  6. a heap of _____
  7. a herd of _____
  8. a bunch of _____
  1. a) houses
  2. b) flies
  3. c) fir trees
  4. d) deer
  5. e) grapes
  6. f) mountains
  7. g) criminals
  8. h) bed linen

87.4 ‣ Rewrite these sentences using collective nouns. Don’t forget to change the verb to singular or plural where necessary.

  1. There are some tables on top of one another in the next room .
  2. There are a large number of people waiting outside.
    _____
  3. The people who work there are very well paid.
    _____
  4. A large number of sheep had escaped from a field.
    _____
  5. She gave me six identical glasses.
    _____
  6. She gave me five or six beautiful roses.
    _____

87.5 ‣ Some collective nouns are associated with words about using language. Underline any you can see in this text, check their meanings in a dictionary and make a note of them in your vocabulary notebook.

THE journalists raised a host of difficult questions about the actions of the police during the demonstration. There had been a barrage of complaints about police violence. The Chief of Police replied that he was not prepared to listen to a string of wild accusations without any evidence. In the end, he just gave a series of short answers that left everyone dissatisfied.

_____

Answer Key
A ‣ People

Collective nouns are used to describe a group of the same people or things.


  1. a group of people (smaller number)

  2. a crowd of people (large number)

  3. a gang of thieves (rather negative)

B ‣ Words associated with certain animals

A flock of sheep or birds, e.g. geese/pigeons; a herd of cows, deer, goats; a shoal of fish (or any particular fish, e.g. a shoal of herring/mackerel -note the use of singular here); a swarm /swɔ:m/ of insects (typically flying ones, e.g. a swarm of bees/gnats).

A pack of ... can be used for dogs, hyenas, wolves, etc. as well as for (playing) cards.

C ‣ People involved in the same job/activity

These nouns are used with singular or plural verbs, depending on your point of view.

A team of experts/reporters/scientists/rescue workers was/were at the scene of the disaster.

The crew was/were saved when the ship sank. [workers on a ship/ambulance/plane]

The company is/are rehearsing a new production. [group of actors]

The cast is/are all amateurs. [actors in a film or theatre production]

The public has/have a right to know the truth. [the people as a whole]

The staff are on strike. (normally used with a plural verb; general word for groups who share a place of work, e.g. teachers in a school, people in an office)

D ‣ Physical features of landscapes

In the picture we can see a row of cottages near a clump of trees with a range of hills in the background. Out on the lake there is a small group of islands.

E ‣ Things in general

a pair of birds sitting on a branch [ two of anything that are the same]

a couple of strawberries [vague way of saying two, not necessarily exactly the same]

a pile/heap of papers (or clothes, dishes, toys, etc.)

a bunch of flowers (or grapes, bananas, etc.)

a stack of chairs (or tables, boxes, logs, etc.)

a set of tools ( or pots and pans, dishes, etc.)

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