2.5 Pronouns
Collective Nouns
Collective nouns suggest more than one person but are usually considered singular. Look over the following examples of collective nouns.
Common Collective Nouns | ||
audience | faculty | public |
band | family | school |
class | government | society |
committee | group | team |
company | jury | tribe |
Incorrect: Lara’s company will have their annual picnic next week.
Correct: Lara’s company will have its annual picnic next week.
Exercise 2
Complete the following sentences by selecting the correct pronoun. Copy the completed sentence onto your own sheet of paper. Then circle the noun the pronoun replaces.
- In the current economy, nobody wants to waste ________ money on frivolous things.
- If anybody chooses to go to medical school, ________ must be prepared to work long hours.
- The plumbing crew did ________ best to repair the broken pipes before the next ice storm.
- If someone is rude to you, try giving ________ a smile in return.
- My family has ________ faults, but I still love them no matter what.
- The school of education plans to train ________ students to be literacy tutors.
- The commencement speaker said that each student has a responsibility toward ________.
- My mother’s singing group has ________ rehearsals on Thursday evenings.
- No one should suffer ________ pains alone.
- I thought the flock of birds lost ________ way in the storm.