Collective Nouns
English Language: AQA A Level, topic 1.2.3
Lexis - Collective Nouns
You may remember from your study of English at GCSE that nouns are people, places or things. But there are many different types of nouns, which are called sub-classes.
Collective nouns
- Collective nouns are nouns used to describe groups.
- For example, a flock of birds and a litter of kittens.
Collective nouns - examples
- An army of ants.
- A gaggle of geese.
- A swarm of bees.
- A litter of puppies.
- A pack of hounds.
Lexis - Misconceptions About Nouns
It is not always clear which word in the sentence is the noun. Some words act as both nouns and verbs. Here are some examples:
Love
- I love this book.
- Love here is NOT a noun – it is a verb.
- Book is the noun in this sentence.
Hate
- I hate her! I am full of hatred.
- Hate here is NOT a noun - it is a verb.
- Hatred is the nounal form of hate in this sentence.
Insult
- Don't insult me like that!
- Insult sometimes acts as a noun, but here, insult is acting as a verb.
Object
- I object to you saying that.
- Object sometimes acts as a noun, But here, object is acting as a verb.
Test yourself on Collective Nouns
Which of these contain collective nouns?
Which sentence uses a collective noun?
What collective noun should fill the gap?
A ____ of actorsWhich sentence uses the word 'suspect' as a noun?
Which sentence contains a noun in bold?