Diane Fernandez

1
Collective Nouns
(With Friends from Sesame Street)

• Diane Fernandez
• Period 3

2
Definition Function

• Special class of nouns that name groups (usually
  things) that are composed of members (usually
  people)
• Each none is a single thing but each of them is
  made up of more than one person or thing.
• Can either be singular or plural, depending on
  context
• Singular verb group as a unit
• (Ex The class follows Big Bird during the show.
  Follows refers that the class is singular)
• Plural verb individual members of group
• (Ex After recognizing the theme song, the class
  join in. Join means that the class is used as a
  plural.)
• NoteThis is just in the U.S. by the way.  All
  the British Commonwealth countries pluralize
  collective nouns.  For example, the Brits would
  say, "Radiohead are playing tonight in London."
  This is just in the U.S. by the way.  All the
  British Commonwealth countries pluralize
  collective nouns.  For example, the Brits would
  say, "Radiohead are playing tonight in London."
• Like nouns, collective nouns function as objects,
  subjects, complements

3
Some Examples...

• Army
• Audience
• Bevy (of swans)
• Charm (of hummingbirds)
• Company
• Convoy (of trucks)
• Council
• Department
• Family

• Gaggle (of geese)
• Group
• Majority
• Minority
• Mute (of hounds)
• School
• Society
• Team
• Troupe

4
Big Bird Examples
(Used as subjects of sentences)

• The audience laugh when Big Bird snorted as he
  laughed.
• (Audience is referring to a group of people who
  watch the show. Therefore, its a collective
  noun)
• The gang played a practical joke on Big Bird.
• (The collective noun gang takes includes all the
  other characters of the show. )

5
Elmo Examples
(Used as direct objects of sentences)

• Elmo always visited his family when he felt
  lonely.
• (Family refers to all the members of Sesame
  Street who Elmo considers he is close to. This
  means its a collective noun.)
• Elmo attacked the army of children with hugs and
  kisses.
• (Army is the collective noun because it refers to
  more than one child whom Elmo is giving kisses
  to.)

6
Cookie Monster Examples
(Used as indirect objects of sentences)

• Cookie Monster showed the swarm of bees a honey
  jar so they wouldnt touch his cookies.
• (Swarm, the collective noun, is referring to the
  numerous amount of bees and not just one.)

• Cookie Monster gave the crowd his left over
  cookies from the other day.
• (Crowd is referring to more than the one person
  who is watching him. Therefore it is the
  collective noun. )

7
Oscar the Grouch Examples
(Used as object of infinitives)

• Oscar plans to see society again as soon as he
  finds the rotten fish.
• (Society refers to everything that surrounds him
  including all the people. This makes society a
  collective noun)
• Oscar went to follow the majority so that he
  wouldnt be alone in his trash can.
• (The collective noun, majority, refers to more
  than one member who Oscar is following.)

8
Bert and Ernie Example
(Used as object of preposition)

• While playing hopscotch, Bert and Ernie jumped
  over the colony of ants.
• (Colony is the collective noun because it refers
  to more than just one ant that Bert and Ernie
  jumped over.)

9
Group Example
(Used as predicate nominative of sentence)

• The Sesame Street characters became the group who
  won the hearts of children around the world.
• (The collective noun, group, refers to more than
  one character of Sesame Street.)

10

• Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame
  Street?