Collective nouns are nouns that name a group of people, animals, or things as a single unit. They let you talk about many members with one word, such as team, family, or bunch. A collective noun can be followed by a singular or plural verb depending on whether you mean the group as one whole or the members as individuals. Understanding this choice helps you sound natural and precise in English.

A collective noun refers to multiple members but presents them as one group. The focus can be on the group as a single entity or on the individuals inside it, and this focus affects agreement and pronoun choice. Many collective nouns are countable, so you can use a, the, this, that, or numbers with them. Some are informal and some are more formal, so word choice can also signal tone.

English has many everyday collective nouns used in general conversation and writing. Some are used for people, some for animals, and some for objects or amounts. Many are neutral and widely understood, while others are literary or specialized. Learning the most frequent ones first gives you the most practical coverage.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
family	👥 家庭	a group of related people	👥 一组相关的人员	My family lives nearby.	🗣️ 我的家人住在附近。
team	👥 团队	people working together in sport or work	👥 在体育或工作中共同合作的人	The team is ready.	🗣️ 这个团队已经准备好了。
staff	👥 员工	employees of an organization	👥 某组织的雇员	The staff are meeting today.	🗣️ 员工们今天在开会。
flock	🐦 群	a group of birds or sheep	🐦 一群鸟或一群羊	A flock of birds flew over us.	🗣️ 一群鸟飞过我们头顶。
school	🐟 鱼群	a group of fish	🐟 一群鱼	We saw a school of fish.	🗣️ 我们看见了一群鱼。
bunch	📦 一束	things gathered together loosely	📦 松散聚集在一起的物品	I bought a bunch of bananas.	🗣️ 我买了一束香蕉。
pile	📚 一堆	a stack or heap of items	📚 一堆物品	There is a pile of papers on the desk.	🗣️ 桌子上有一堆纸张。

Use a singular verb when you treat the group as one unit acting together. This is common when you describe a shared action, a single decision, or the group as an organization. You can also use singular determiners like this or that with a collective noun when you mean one group. Pronouns often stay singular in this meaning when you keep the group as one entity.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use singular verb for one group action	📌 将单数动词用于一个群体的一个行动	The team wins every weekend.	🗣️ 团队每个周末都赢得胜利。
Use singular when the group is like an organization	📌 当群体像一个组织时使用单数	The committee decides the budget.	🗣️ 委员会决定预算。
Singular determiners match the group-as-one meaning	📌 单数限定词与群体作为一个整体的意义匹配	This family lives in London.	🗣️ 这个家庭住在伦敦。

Use a plural verb when you emphasize the members as individuals, often when they act separately, disagree, or do different things. This is especially common in British English, but it can appear in other varieties when the context clearly highlights individuals. Pronouns like they, them, and their often support the plural meaning. Mixing meanings in one sentence can sound confusing, so keep the focus consistent.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use plural verb when members act as individuals	📌 当成员以个体行动时使用复数动词	The team are arguing among themselves.	🗣️ 团队成员正在彼此争论。
Plural pronouns support the individual focus	📌 复数代词支持个体焦点	The jury are taking their seats.	🗣️ 陪审团成员正在就座。
Keep agreement consistent within the same idea	📌 在同一观念中保持一致的搭配	The staff are unhappy with their pay.	🗣️ 员工对薪酬感到不满。

American English more often treats collective nouns as singular, especially for institutions and organizations. British English more often allows plural agreement with the same nouns when the speaker thinks of the members. Neither choice is automatically wrong; it depends on the variety you are using and the meaning you intend. If you write for an international audience, choose the agreement that matches your focus and keep it consistent.

Region	🇨🇳 中文 Region	Word	🇨🇳 中文 Word	Regional Definition	🇨🇳 中文 Regional Definition
American English	🌎 American English	team	👥 team	Usually takes a singular verb when the group is one unit	📌 通常在群体作为一个整体时使用单数动词
🇬🇧British English	🇬🇧 British English	team	👥 team	Often takes a plural verb when members are emphasized	📌 强调成员时通常使用复数动词
American English	🌎 American English	government	👥 government	Commonly treated as singular in general statements	📌 在一般陈述中通常视为单数
🇬🇧British English	🇬🇧 British English	government	👥 government	Commonly treated as plural when referring to ministers and officials	📌 指部长和官员时通常视为复数

After a collective noun, pronouns should match the meaning you choose: singular for the group as one unit, plural for the members as individuals. In modern English, plural they is often used to avoid gendered pronouns, and it can also fit the members-focused meaning. If you start with singular it and then switch to their, the reader may feel a mismatch unless the sentence clearly shifts focus. Choose one perspective and follow it through the paragraph.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Group-as-one often uses it or its	📌 将群体视为一个整体时通常使用 it 或 its	The company has changed its policy.	🗣️ 公司已更改其政策。
Members-focused meaning uses they or their	📌 以成员为中心的含义使用 they 或 their	The company are divided in their opinions.	🗣️ The company are divided in their opinions.
Avoid switching perspective without a clear reason	📌 避免在没有明确理由的情况下切换视角	The committee has reached its decision.	🗣️ The committee has reached its decision.

Some collective expressions are formed with a measure noun plus of, such as a bunch of, a pair of, or a group of. Here, the measure noun is usually the grammatical head, so the verb often agrees with it, especially in formal writing. In speech, you may hear agreement influenced by the plural noun after of, but in careful writing it is safer to match the measure noun. This pattern is especially common for quantities, containers, and grouped items.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Verb often agrees with the measure noun	📌 动词通常与量词名词保持一致	A group of students is waiting outside.	🗣️ A group of students is waiting outside.
Plural measure nouns take plural verbs	📌 复数数量词名词使用复数动词	Two groups of students are waiting outside.	🗣️ Two groups of students are waiting outside.
Container and set nouns commonly work this way	📌 容器名词和集合名词通常以这种方式工作	A pair of shoes is on the floor.	🗣️ A pair of shoes is on the floor.

Most collective nouns are countable, so you can make them plural and talk about multiple groups. Pluralizing the collective noun clearly signals that there is more than one group, even if each group contains many members. When a collective noun is plural, it takes a plural verb because you now have multiple groups. This helps avoid ambiguity when you compare several teams, families, or committees.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use plural collective noun for multiple groups	📌 对多个群体使用复数集合名词	Three teams are competing today.	🗣️ 三个团队今天在比赛。
Plural collective noun takes a plural verb	📌 复数集合名词使用复数动词	The families are traveling separately.	🗣️ 这些家庭正在分别旅行。
Plural groups can still contain many members each	📌 复数群体仍可包含许多成员	Several committees are reviewing the proposal.	🗣️ 若干委员会正在审议提案。

To choose singular or plural agreement, decide what you want to emphasize: one unit or many individuals. Look for clues like together, as a whole, and unanimously for singular meaning, and clues like disagree, each, and among themselves for plural meaning. If your sentence feels unclear, you can rewrite with members, people, or individuals to force a plural meaning. Clear meaning is more important than memorizing one fixed rule.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use singular when the group acts together	📌 当群体作为一个整体行动时使用单数	The audience was silent.	🗣️ 观众席保持沉默。
Use plural when individuals act separately	📌 当个体分开行动时使用复数	The audience were leaving at different times.	🗣️ 观众们在不同时间离开。
Rewrite to remove ambiguity when needed	📌 如有需要，改写以消除歧义	The members of the audience were leaving at different times.	🗣️ 观众的成员们在不同时间离开。