GRAMMAR

COLLECTIVE NOUNS - SUBSTANTIVE COLECTIVE

O serie de substantive, deşi au formă de singular, exprimă adesea ideea de plural. Aceste

substantive se numesc substantive colective.

EXEMPLE:

– Family, crew, team, crowd, government, police, audience, wood, leafage, parliament,

mankind etc. Ele se folosesc cu verbul la singular când se accentuează noţiunea în sine, ca un tot

unitar, şi cu verbul la plural când se accentuează elementele constitutive:

Ex. Family is an important element of our society.

My family are at home right now.

Unele dintre aceste substantive se folosesc doar cu verbul la plural: people (cu sensul de oameni,

lume), folk (mulţime de oameni), cattle (vite), vermin (vermină, dăunători), poultry (păsări de

curte).

Ex. Vermin are very frequent around this time of year.

I. COLLECTIVE NOUNS   →PEOPLE an army of soldiersa bevy of beauties/girlsa band of musiciansa band of robbersa board of directorsa body of mena bunch of crooksa caravan of gypsiesa choir of singersa class of pupilsa class of studentsa company of actorsa company of soldiersa congregation of worshippersa crew of sailorsa crowd of spectatorsa crowd of peoplea dynasty of kingsa gang of crooksa gang of robbersa gang of thieves

a horde of savagesa host of angelsa line of kings/rulersa mob of riotersa group of dancersa group of singersa pack of rascalsa pack of thievesa party of friendsa patrol of policemena posse of policemena regiment of soldiersa staff of employeesa staff of servantsa staff of teachersa team of playersa tribe of nativesa troupe of scoutsa troupe of artistesa troupe of dancersa troupe of performers

 II. COLLECTIVE NOUNS   →THINGS

an album of photographsan album of stampsan anthology of poemsa basket of fruita block of flatsa book of exercisesa bouquet of flowersa bowl of ricea bunch of bananasa bunch of flowers

a hail of bulletsa harvest of wheat/corna heap of rubbisha heap of ruinsa hedge of bushesa heap of stonesa layer of soil/dirta library of booksa line of carsa list of names

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a bunch of grapesa bunch of keysa bundle of rags/old clothesa bundle of firewood/sticksa catalogue of prices/goodsa chain of mountainsa chest of drawersa cluster of grapesa cloud of dusta clump of bushesa clump of treesa collection of coinsa collection of curiositiesa collection of picturesa collection of relicsa collection of stampsa column of smokea constellation of starsa clutch of eggsa crate of fruita crop of applesa fall of raina fall of snowa fleet of carsa fleet of shipsa flight of stepsa forest of treesa galaxy of starsa garland of flowersa glossary of difficult words/phrasesa group of islandsa grove of trees 

a mass of ruins/haira necklace of pearlsan orchard of fruit treesa pack of cardsa packet of cigarettesa packet of lettersa pair of shoesa range of hillsa range of mountainsa ream of papera rope of pearlsa row of housesa series of eventsa set of chinaa set of clubsa set of toolsa sheaf of arrowsa sheaf of papersa shower of blowsa stack of corna stack of haya stack of wooda stock of wooda string of beadsa string of pearlsa suit of clothesa suite of furniturea suite of roomsa tuft of grassa tuft of haira wad of currency/notesa wreath of flowers

 III. COLLECTIVE NOUNS →ANIMALS

a catch of fisha cloud of fliesa cloud of insectsa cloud of locustsa colony of gullsa drove of cattlea flight of birdsa flight of dovesa flight of locustsa flock of birdsa flock of sheepa gaggle of geesea herd of buffaloesa herd of cattlea herd of deera herd of elephantsa herd of goatsa herd of swine

a hive of beesa litter of pigletsa litter of kittensa litter of puppiesa nest of antsa nest of micea nest of rabbitsa pack of houndsa pack of wolvesa plague of insectsa plague of locustsa school of herrings/other small fisha team of horsesa team of oxena train of camelsa tribe of goatsa zoo of wild animals 

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