As a linguistic expert with a focus on English grammar and usage, I can confidently address your question regarding the classification of the word "group" as a noun. The term "collective noun" is a fascinating aspect of English vocabulary that refers to a word that represents a collection of people, animals, or things taken as a whole. Examples of collective nouns include "family," "herd," "team," and "flock," among others. These nouns are used to denote a group as a single entity, even though they are composed of multiple members or items.

To determine whether "group" is a collective noun, let's first understand the characteristics of such nouns. Collective nouns have the following features:


1. Represent a Collection: They represent a collection or an assembly of items, people, or animals.

2. Singular Form: Collective nouns are typically used in the singular form to denote a collective entity, even though they refer to a group.

3. Use with a Singular or Plural Verb: Sometimes, they can be used with either a singular or plural verb, depending on whether the focus is on the group as a whole or the individual members within the group.

Now, let's apply these characteristics to the word "group."


1. Represent a Collection: "Group" does indeed represent a collection of individuals or items. It is used to refer to a number of people or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.

2. Singular Form: The word "group" is used in the singular form, even when it refers to multiple entities. For example, "The group is meeting at 3 PM" implies that there are multiple people in the group, yet the verb "is" is singular.

3. Use with a Singular or Plural Verb: "Group" can sometimes be used with a plural verb to emphasize the individual members, such as in the sentence "The group are all experts in their field." However, it is more common to use "group" with a singular verb when referring to the collective entity.

Given these points, we can conclude that "group" is indeed a collective noun. It meets all the criteria: it represents a collection, it is used in the singular form, and it can be used with either a singular or plural verb depending on the context.

It's also worth noting that the word "flock," which you mentioned, is a specific type of collective noun that is used to refer to a group of birds, particularly when they are gathered together or flying in a coordinated manner. The use of "flock" is more specialized than "group," which is a more general term that can apply to a wide variety of collections, not just animals.

In summary, "group" is a collective noun that serves to represent a collection of entities as a single unit. It is a versatile term that is widely used in English to describe various types of collections, including those of people, animals, and objects.

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Answer: They are both common nouns and flock is a collective noun.Aug 10, 2016read more >>