collective noun

(noun)

A number of people or things taken together and spoken of as a whole.

Related Terms

  • verb
  • plural
  • mass noun

Examples of collective noun in the following topics:

  • Subject-Verb Agreement

    • When two nouns differing in number are joined by the word "or," the verb should take the form of the noun closest to it.
    • Collective nouns (which refer to a group of beings or things as a single unit) are singular, and so take singular verbs.
    • Mass nouns, like "water" or "mud" are neither singular nor plural.
    • Mass nouns represent a generic, unknown amount of whatever they are.
    • [The subject baggage is a mass noun, so the verb was is singular.]
  • Third Declension

    • Nouns of the Third Declension end in -a, -e, -ī, -ō, -y, -c, -l, -n, -r, -s, -t, -x.
    • Not all nouns in -is are ĭ-Stems.
    • Nouns in -ō, -or, -ōs, -er, -ĕs are Masculine.
    • Nouns in -ās, -ēs, -is, -ys, -x, -s (preceded by a consonant); -dō, -gō (Genitive -inis); -iō (abstract and collective), -ūs (Genitive -ātis or -ūdis) are Feminine.
    • Nouns ending in -a, -e, -i, -y, -o, -l, -n, -t, -ar, -ur, -ŭs are Neuter.
  • Nouns derived from Nouns

  • German Nouns

  • Nouns Derived from Verbs

  • Nouns derived from Verbs

  • Nouns derived from Adjectives

  • Adjectives derived from Nouns

  • Examples of Nouns

  • Predicate Nouns

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