For example, referring to a group of people as a “herd” would characterize them as mindless and anonymous. NoteThe more common collective nouns for animals are often applied figuratively to humans, typically with a negative connotation. Wild or trained animals that hunt as a group (e.g., wolves, dogs) Test Match Created by ljohnson1111 Teacher - Indefinites are words that refer to persons, things or periods of time that are not defined or not specific. Social and cooperative animals (e.g., ants, beavers, penguins)Īnimals guided by a leader (e.g., sheep following a shepherd) or assembled in a formation (e.g., birds)Īnimals (e.g., cows) kept by farmers in a large group, or wild animals that congregate in groups Collective nounīaby animals such as chicks or insect larvae Some examples are shown in the table below. The more surprising ones tend not to be used very often in practice, except to comment on their strangeness. These nouns range from the conventional to the poetic and unusual. These terms are used on their own or with the animal specified (e.g., “pack of dogs”). Many collective nouns are very general in their usage (e.g., you can refer to a “group” of just about anything), but there are also much more specific collective nouns, particularly for different types of animals. Examples: Collective nouns in UK EnglishThe board are in disagreement about appointing a successor.įoo Fighters are an overrated band, but Nirvana is great. For example, it would read strangely to treat the word “company” as singular in one sentence and plural in the next. It’s still a good idea to be consistent about how you treat each term, though. In practice, the plural form tends to be used quite often when the emphasis is on the individual members of a group acting separately, or when the noun is plural in appearance. In UK English, usage is more varied, and both styles are generally seen as acceptable. Examples: Collective nouns in US EnglishThe board is in disagreement about appointing a successor.įoo Fighters is an overrated band. In formal and academic writing, therefore, you should be careful to treat collective nouns as singular, even when they are plural in appearance (e.g., some band names). This doesn’t mean that people never do so, but it would be against the rules of most American style guides. In US English, it’s regarded as incorrect to use a plural verb form with a collective noun. In UK English, either way is acceptable, and usage tends to vary depending on the context.In US English, it’s standard to always treat collective nouns as singular.Frequently asked questions about collective nounsĬollective nouns are most commonly treated as singular (i.e., used with singular verb forms like “is”), but usage varies between US and UK English:.Are collective nouns singular or plural?.No hay ningunos problemas con la computadora.Hay algunos problemas con la computadora.You may need to use more than one negative word.Įxample: Yo voy a ir al cine también. ❼orres siempre por la mañana? (Do you always run in the morning?)ġ) Rewrite each affirmative sentence so that it is negative.(I am going to order either the pizza or the pasta.) ¿Hay algún problema? (Is there any problem?).❼onoces a alguien guapo? (Do you know anyone cute?). ![]() ![]() See if you can match them to the negative words above. Below you will find a list of the most common indefinite words. Indefinite words are the opposites of negative words. (Do you eat spinach? No, I never eat spinach.) ❼omes espinaca? No, no como nunca espinaca.They can refer to people or things and are usually used in conjunction with "no." Negative Wordsīelow you will find a list of the most common negative words. Negative and indefinite words can be adjectives, pronouns, or adverbs. To provide additional information, you can use negative and indefinite words. Spanish may have the simplest way to make phrases negative: put a "no" in front of them.
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