Collective nouns: lists of principals

O substantivecollective it's the name ordinary that gives to a set of beings or things of the same species. The collective noun is usually in its singular form, although it designates a set of multiple beings or things.

It is possible to categorize collectives between so-called universals (people, flock, constellation) and particulars (orange, litter, collection). While universals are not countable (they only have a plural under special conditions), particulars can be counted (that is, pluralized normally).

We'll learn some very common collectives below.

Collective nouns, although they are commonly written in singular, already bring in the sense the idea of ​​plural, of a group.

Collective nouns of people

Collective	Set of
pack, pack, gang, gang	thieves
association, club, rally, society	people gathered for common purpose
auditorium	spectators
bench	examiners
band, orchestra	musicians
battalion, troop	soldiers
caravan	travelers
clientele	customers
company	artists
choir	singers
Joins	creditors
crowd wheel	people
people, nation	people from the same society
class	students, workers, friends

Examples

• O auditorium was fascinated listening to orchestra touch.

• There was one crowd nervous in that rally.

See too: Treatment pronouns: when to use it?

Collective nouns of animals

Collective	Set of
Wolf Pack	wolves
gang	birds
pussy, cat, bunch	cats
shoal	fish
hive, swarm	bees
fauna	animals from the same region
cattle	farm-raised animals
pack	dogs
brooding	chicks
cloud, plague	locusts, hornets
flock	oxen, cows, sheep
stick	pigs

Examples

• It creates a real pack inside home.

• That one locust cloud destroyed the plantation.

Collective nouns of plants, fruits and foods

Collective	Set of
bunch, bunch	bananas, grapes
flora	plants from the same region
Forest	trees from the same region
herbarium	plants for display or study
bouquet	flowers
streak	onions, garlic

Examples

• She was the one who offered a bouquet of flowersto your husband.

• we need to buy one sliver of garlic.

Read too: What are the elements of communication?

Collective object nouns

Collective	Set of
anthology, collection	literary or scientific excerpts or works
archipelago	Islands
library, stack	books
constellation	stars
beam, row	firewood, grass
gallery	pictures, statues
furniture	furniture
sauce	keys

Examples

• I was avidly reading that collection of Manuel Bandeira.

• I'm moving, but the furniture arrives only tomorrow.

By Guilherme Viana
Portuguese teacher

Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/gramatica/substantivos-coletivos.htm