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Collective nouns Collective nouns are used to describe a group of the same things. ....._-_A...... People it' a group of people (smaller number) B ....._----' C -------" ~r.~ ,. a crowd of people (large number) '" ... a gang of thieves (rather negative) Words associated with certain animals A flock of sheep or birds, e.g. geese/pigeons; a herd of cows, deer, goats; a shoal /f gul/ of fish (or any particular fish, e.g. a shoal of herring/mackerel - note the use of singular here); a swarm /sw'J: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. People involved in the same job/activity A team of surgeons/doctors/experts/reporters/scientists/rescue-workers/detectives arrived at the scene of the disaster. These nouns are used with singular or plural verbs, depending on your point of view. 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 '~t 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 pilelheap 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] 66 English Vocabulary in Use (Upper-intermediate) ~ E.xercises 32.1 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 over the side of the boat, we saw a ......................... of brightly coloured fish. 3 There was a ......................... of youths standing on the corner; they didn't look very friendly. 4 You'll see a ......................... of cards on the bookshelf. Will you fetch them for me, please? SA ......................... 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. 32.2 In 1 2 3 4 32.3 Draw a line from the left-hand column to the right-hand column. 1 a clump of houses 2 a range of flies 3 a gang of fir-trees 4 a swarm of elephants S a row of bed-linen 6 a heap of mountains 7 a herd of schoolkids 32.4 Rewrite these sentences using collective words. 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. S She gave me six identical sherry glasses. 6 She gave me five or six beautiful roses. 32.5 Some collective nouns are associated with words about using language. Underline any you can see in this next text and make a note of them in your vocabulary notebook. each case, one of the examples is wrong. Which one? Company is often used for actors / opera singers / swimmers Cast is often used for people in a play / a book / a film Crew is often used for the staff of an ambulance / a plane / a hospital Pack is often used for cats / dogs / wolves S Flock is often used for sheep / pigeons / pigs T raised a whole host of questions about the actions of the police during the demonstration. There had been a barrage of complaints about police violence. The Chief of HE JOURNALISTS Police replied that he was not prepared to listen to a string of wild allegations without any evidence. In the end, he just gave a series of short answers that left everyone dissatisfied. Follow-up: How would you translate the expressions you underlined in Exercise 32.5 into your own language? English Vocabulary in Use (Upper-intermediate) 67