Is a collective noun formed by adding –ing to the verb stem, used to express commands or directives, or a noun that refers to a group or a collection of elements?
1 Answer
A collective noun is a noun used to group people or things in a descriptive way.
Explanation:
There are some nouns that, by definition, are words for a group; for example, a crowd, a herd, or a bale; for example:
- a crowd of people or a crowd of onlookers;
- a herd of cattle or a herd of antelope;
- a bale of hay or a bale of cotton.
There are some nouns that are not inherently words for a group but can function as collective nouns; for example:
- I set the table. (not a collective noun)
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a table of contents (a collective noun)
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I left my book in school, (not a collective noun)
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a school of fish (a collective noun)
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The book is due at the library. (not a collective noun)
- a book of matches (a collective noun)
- a library of books (a collective noun)
The -ing form of a verb is called the present participle of a verb .
The present participle functions as a present tense verb.
The present participle functions as a gerund (a verbal noun).
The present participle functions as an adjective.
Examples:
They were dancing in the moonlight, (verb)
Dancing is my favorite class. (noun)
Those dancing lessons have improved your posture. (adjective)