Collective Nouns
* Represent a group of individuals as a single unit: They describe a collection of things that act as a whole.
* Can be singular or plural depending on the context:
* Singular: When the group acts as one, the verb is singular. Example: "The team is practicing."
* Plural: When the individuals within the group are acting independently, the verb is plural. Example: "The team are arguing about strategy."
* Examples: flock, herd, pack, crowd, family, committee, jury
Plural Nouns
* Represent two or more individual things: They refer to multiple instances of the same thing.
* Always take plural verbs: Example: "The dogs are barking."
* Examples: cats, books, cars, trees, chairs, students
Here's a simple way to think about it:
* Collective nouns: Focus on the group as one entity.
* Plural nouns: Focus on the individual members of the group.
Here are some examples to illustrate:
* Collective: "The jury has reached a verdict." (The jury acts as a single decision-making body.)
* Plural: "The jurors are leaving the courtroom." (The individual members of the jury are acting independently.)
In essence, collective nouns describe a group as a unit, while plural nouns refer to multiple individual items.