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Nouns 08 - Collective Nouns
A barrel of monkeys.

Nouns 08 - Collective Nouns

As we have learnt from the previous quizzes, nouns play an important role in understanding English and they come in different types. Nouns are very important for anyone who wants to learn English. Nouns are one of the eight parts of speech that constitute the English language. We have learnt that nouns can be classified into many types such as common nouns, compound nouns, abstract nouns and concrete nouns. In this quiz we take a look at another type of noun known as the collective noun.

As the name suggests, a collective noun is a word that describes a group of things, places, objects, people or animals. For example, we can describe bananas as a BUNCH of bananas; describe thugs as a GANG of thugs; describe actors as a CAST of actors; describe cards as a PACK of cards and describe cricketers as a TEAM or SQUAD of cricketers. All the words in capitals are known as collective nouns as they describe a group.

These collective nouns are applicable to several groups of people or objects. For instance, TEAM and SQUAD are applicable not only to cricketers but also to footballers, hockey players or any group of players in any sport. They may also apply to say, a police force or a fire force. However, when it comes to animals, birds and species other than humans, the English language is very inventive and it provides special collective nouns for various groups of different animals.

You have heard of the expression 'a SWARM of bees.' Here SWARM, attributed specifically to bees, is a collective noun. Another example is a SHOAL of fish. This collective noun is only used for fish and incidentally we have another collective noun, SCHOOL, for describing a group of fish. These words are rarely used for other animals. The quiz that follows takes you through some interesting collective nouns for a variety of animals.

1.
Identify the animal from the collective noun - A BAND of ---
Kangaroos
Leopards
Moose
Gorillas
Whilst BAND is the collective noun commonly used for gorillas, TROOP can also be used. The collective noun for Kangaroos is MOB, for Leopards is LEAP and for Moose is HERD
2.
Identify the animal from the collective noun - A TROOP of ---
Bears
Bison
Monkeys
Buffalo
While TROOP is the collective noun commonly used for monkeys, BARREL is also used. The collective noun for Bears is SLOTH, for Bison is HERD and for Buffalo is GANG
3.
Identify the animal from the collective noun - A PACK of ---
Antelope
Wolves
Apes
Pups
While PACK is the collective noun commonly used for wolves, ROUT and ROUTE can also be used. The collective noun for Antelope is HERD, for Apes is SHREWDNESS and for Pups is LITTER
4.
Identify the animal from the collective noun - A SCURRY of ---
Cheetahs
Donkeys
Foxes
Squirrels
While SCURRY is the collective noun commonly used for squirrels, DRAY can also be used. The collective noun for Cheetahs is COALITION, for Donkeys is DROVE and for Foxes is LEASH
5.
Identify the animal from the collective noun - A TOWER of ---
Horses
Hyenas
Giraffes
Impalas
TOWER is the collective noun commonly used for giraffes. The collective noun for Horses is TEAM, for Hyenas is CACKLE and for Impalas is HERD
6.
Identify the animal from the collective noun - A PRIDE of ---
Goats
Lions
Hedgehogs
Hippopotamuses
While PRIDE is the collective noun commonly used for lions, SAULT and TROOP are also used. The collective noun for Goats is TRIBE, for Hedgehogs is ARRAY and for Hippopotamuses is BLOAT
7.
Identify the animal from the collective noun - A PRICKLE of ---
Porpoises
Rabbits
Porcupines
Raccoons
PRICKLE is the collective noun commonly used for Porcupines. The collective noun for Porpoises is CROWD, for Rabbits is COLONY and for Raccoons is GAZE
8.
Identify the animal from the collective noun - A CARAVAN of ---
Camels
Sheep
Cats
Birds
While CARAVAN is the collective noun commonly used for camels, FLOCK and TRAIN are also used. The collective noun for cats is CLOWDER. For sheep and for birds it is FLOCK
9.
Identify the animal from the collective noun - A POD of ---
Dolphins
Mules
Otters
Polecats
POD is the collective noun commonly used for dolphins. The collective noun for Mules is PACK, for Otters is BEVY and for Polecats is CHINE
10.
Identify the animal from the collective noun - A MISCHIEF of ---
Elephants
Cattle
Deer
Mice
MISCHIEF is the collective noun commonly used for mice. The collective noun for Elephants, for Cattle and for Deer is HERD
Author:  V T Narendra

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