Grade 1, English Olympiad (CBSE) - Nouns

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Grade 1 | English | Nouns, Nouns, Olympiad, CBSE, ICSE, Maths Olympiad, Science Olympiad, English Olympiad

Nouns — Grade 1 (with Collective Nouns)

A noun is a naming word. It can name a person, a place, an animal, a thing, a material, or even a feeling. Examples: Tom, Delhi, table, dog, gold, bravery.

The 5 types of nouns

1) Proper noun

Names one special person/place/thing. Begin with a capital letter.

Ram, Shyam, Agra, Taj Mahal

2) Common noun

General name for a kind of person/place/thing.

boy, city, river, student

3) Collective noun

One word for a group of people/animals/things.

herd of cows, pride of lions

4) Material noun

Names a substance or material we use to make things.

gold, silver, wood, milk

5) Abstract noun

Names an idea, feeling, state, or quality we can’t touch.

bravery, beauty, fear, honesty

Collective nouns (group names)

A collective noun tells what we call many of the same kind together.

Group word	Used for	Kid-friendly example sentence
herd	cows, buffaloes, deer, elephants	We saw a herd of elephants.
flock	birds, sheep, geese (flying)	A flock of birds flew past.
pack	wolves, dogs	A pack of wolves moved together.
pride	lions	A pride of lions rested.
school	fish, dolphins, whales	A school of fish swam in a circle.
swarm	bees, flies	A swarm of bees buzzed near the hive.
colony	ants, penguins	A colony of ants carried food.
troop	monkeys	A troop of monkeys jumped on trees.
pod	dolphins, whales	A pod of dolphins leaped high.
litter	puppies, kittens (babies born together)	The cat had a litter of kittens.
brood	chicks	A brood of chicks followed the hen.
gaggle	geese (on land)	A gaggle of geese crossed the path.

Teacher’s corner: extended list & less-common variants

More you may see

army — soldiers / caterpillars / frogs band / orchestra — musicians bunch — grapes / keys / flowers class — students collection — stamps / coins crew — sailors caravan — camels flight — birds (in air) cloud — grasshoppers parliament — owls murder — crows scourge — mosquitoes ambush — tigers

Notes

Some words are regional or rare for Grade-1 (e.g., ambush of tigers, scourge of mosquitoes).
Use police force (more natural) rather than “company of police”.
“Litter” is for young born together (e.g., litter of cubs), not for adult tigers.
“Colony of penguins” and “crèche of penguins” are both used; keep one consistent in a worksheet.

Kid-friendly groups (quick list)

Pets & Farm

herd of cows flock of sheep litter of puppies brood of chicks

Wildlife

pride of lions herd of elephants pack of wolves troop of monkeys

Water & Sky

school of fish pod of dolphins flock of birds gaggle of geese

Tiny creatures

swarm of bees colony of ants

Common mistakes (and quick fixes)

Forgetting capitals

Write: We live in Agra. (Not “agra”)

Using the wrong group word

Say flock of birds, not “herd of birds”.

Mixing “litter” and “group”

litter of puppies (babies born together), but pack of dogs (group).

Uncommon words in Grade-1

Words like ambush (tigers) or parliament (owls) are fine as bonus, not required.

Try it (mini practice)

Match me

lions — ?, birds — ?, fish — ?, wolves — ?

Answers: pride, flock, school, pack

Fill the blanks

A ______ of elephants walked by. A ______ of bees buzzed near the tree.

Answers: herd, swarm

MCQ Practice (5 Questions)

Which is a collective noun?
- A. lion
- B. pride
- C. jungle
- D. brave
Answer & Explanation

B pride names a group of lions (collective noun).
Choose the correct group word: “A ____ of birds flew over us.”
- A. herd
- B. school
- C. flock
- D. litter
Answer & Explanation

C Birds go in a flock. “Herd” is for cows/elephants, “school” for fish, “litter” for babies.
Which pair is correct?
- A. wolves — troop
- B. lions — pride
- C. fish — herd
- D. dogs — brood
Answer & Explanation

B Lions ? pride. Wolves ? pack; fish ? school; puppies ? litter.
Which sentence uses a proper noun correctly?
- A. we went to agra.
- B. We went to agra.
- C. We went to Agra.
- D. we Went to Agra.
Answer & Explanation

C Start the sentence and proper names with capital letters: We, Agra.
Pick the material noun.
- A. bravery
- B. gold
- C. elephant
- D. teacher
Answer & Explanation

B gold is a substance/material. Bravery is abstract; the others are common nouns.

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