Collective Nouns - these are not the same as plurals, as you will see.

This short lecture looks at collective nouns.

Collective nouns are nouns that refer to a group or collection of things, people, or animals.

For example, a school of fish, a bunch of bananas, a flock of birds, or a flock of sheep, a band of musicians, a gang of thieves.

Now there are many more collective nouns.

These are just examples.

Collective nouns are not the same as plural nouns.

Collective nouns refer to a group of individuals which act as a single unit.

So for example, an orchestra.

Plurals just refer to a group of independent individuals, for example, musicians.

To show an example with musicians and orchestra, you could say, the musicians are playing well but you would say the orchestra is playing well.

Collective nouns are treated as if they were a single noun because they refer to a group.

So for instance, a school of fish, a bunch of bananas, a flock of birds or sheep, a band of musicians, a gang of thieves.