Common collective nouns
Some collective nouns are used on their own (team, staff). Others usually come in a phrase with of (a herd of cattle, a bunch of keys).
| Group of | Collective noun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| People | team, family, staff, class, audience, crew, committee, jury, government, public | The audience was silent. |
| Cows or elephants | a herd of | a herd of elephants |
| Sheep, goats or birds | a flock of | a flock of sheep |
| Wolves or dogs | a pack of | a pack of wolves |
| Bees or insects | a swarm of | a swarm of bees |
| Fish | a school of, a shoal of | a school of fish |
| Flowers or keys | a bunch of | a bunch of flowers |
| Ships or vehicles | a fleet of | a fleet of buses |
Singular or plural verb?
In British English, both are correct with nouns such as team, family, staff, government and committee. Use a singular verb when the group acts as one: "The government has announced a new budget." Use a plural verb when you are thinking of the individual people: "My family are all doctors."
American English normally uses the singular in both cases. If you are unsure, the singular is safe in formal writing.
Whichever you choose, keep the verb and the pronoun consistent in careful writing: "The company has changed its policy" or "The company have changed their policy". Mixing the two, as in "The company has changed their policy", is common in speech but looks careless in an essay.
Group nouns with a fixed verb
A few group nouns don't give you a choice.
| Noun | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| police | Always plural | The police are looking into the case. |
| people | Always plural (meaning persons) | People are worried about prices. |
| cattle | Always plural | The cattle are in the field. |
| a number of + plural noun | Plural | A number of students have applied. |
| the number of + plural noun | Singular | The number of students has risen. |
Common mistakes
Wrong: The police is investigating the robbery.
Right: The police are investigating the robbery.
Police always takes a plural verb.
Wrong: The staffs at this hotel are helpful.
Right: The staff at this hotel are helpful.
Staff already means a group of workers, so don't add -s. Say staff members to count them.
Wrong: The people in my town is friendly.
Right: The people in my town are friendly.
People is the plural of person, so it takes a plural verb.
Wrong: The team has lost their first match.
Right: The team has lost its first match.
In careful writing, keep the verb and pronoun consistent: has with its, or have with their.
Wrong: A number of students has complained.
Right: A number of students have complained.
A number of means several, so the verb is plural. The number of takes a singular verb.
Using this in IELTS and PTE
IELTS Task 2 and PTE Write Essay topics often involve the government, the public, families and staff, so you will use collective nouns in almost every essay. Either a singular or a plural verb is acceptable in British English; what matters is staying consistent within a sentence. In IELTS Task 1, "the number of households has increased" takes a singular verb because the subject is number.
5 questions
Exercise
Try each one, then open it to check your answer.
1. Is or are? "The police ___ searching the area."
are
Police always takes a plural verb.
2. Complete this: "a ___ of sheep"
flock
Flock is used for sheep, goats and birds.
3. Has or have? "The number of tourists ___ doubled."
has
The subject is number, which is singular.
4. Correct this: "The jury have reached its verdict."
The jury has reached its verdict. (or: The jury have reached their verdict.)
Keep the verb and pronoun consistent.
5. Is "The family are going on holiday" correct in British English?
Yes.
British English allows a plural verb when you think of the family members.
Frequently asked questions
Is family singular or plural?+
Both. "My family is large" treats it as one unit. "My family are all teachers" thinks of the members. British English uses both; American English usually uses the singular.
Is staff singular or plural?+
Staff is a collective noun, so in British English it often takes a plural verb: "The staff are friendly." Don't add -s for people; say "staff members" or "members of staff" when you need to count.
Is police singular or plural?+
Plural. Say "The police are here", never "The police is here". For one person, say a police officer.
Is a group of students singular or plural?+
Both are used. "A group of students is waiting" focuses on the group; "A group of students are waiting" focuses on the students. In formal writing, the singular is the safer choice.
Keep going
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