A group (noun) is a number of people or things that are together or connected in some way. To group (verb) means to arrange or put people or things into a set or category.
What Does Group Mean?
Group entered English in the late 17th century from French groupe, which came from Italian gruppo — originally meaning a knot or cluster of figures in a painting. It is now one of the most frequent words in English, appearing in everyday conversation, academic texts, business writing, and scientific discourse alike.
As a noun, group refers to any set of people or things that share a connection — they may be in the same place, belong to the same category, or work towards the same goal: a group of tourists, an age group, a music group. As a verb, it describes the act of organising things into sets: Group the words alphabetically.
In British English, group can take either a singular or a plural verb when used as a collective noun. "The group is ready" treats it as a single unit; "The group are arguing among themselves" emphasises the individuals within it. Both forms are standard — context and intended meaning guide the choice.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level / Usage note |
|---|---|
| She studied in a small group, which helped her to practise speaking more. | A2 — core use as noun |
| The teacher asked us to get into groups of four and discuss the question. | B1 — classroom instruction context |
| The museum grouped the paintings by century rather than by artist. | B1 — verb, organising objects |
| A pressure group campaigned successfully for changes to the planning laws. | B2 — fixed collocation, formal register |
| Researchers grouped the participants according to age and socioeconomic background to ensure a representative sample. | C1 — academic/scientific writing, verb |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| age group | This book is aimed at the 8–12 age group. |
| focus group | The company ran a focus group before launching the product. |
| pressure group | Environmental pressure groups lobbied Parliament for stricter emissions rules. |
| support group | She joined a support group after her diagnosis. |
| working group | A working group was set up to review the policy. |
| peer group | Teenagers are strongly influenced by their peer group. |
| target group | The campaign's target group was adults aged 25–40. |
| group work | Group work encourages collaboration and communication skills. |
| break into groups | Let's break into groups and share our ideas. |
| form a group | The five students formed a group to prepare for the exam together. |
Usage Notes
British English Notes
Collective noun agreement: In British English, collective nouns like group frequently take a plural verb: "The group are touring the UK this summer." American English strongly prefers the singular: "The group is touring the US." Both are grammatically correct in their respective varieties.
Noun modifier: When group modifies another noun, it is always singular regardless of the number of groups: group work, group discussion, group activity — never groups work.
Verb forms: Regular conjugation — groups, grouped, grouping. The verb is transitive: you group things together or group them by/according to a criterion. It is not used reflexively in standard British English.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
We divided in groups of three.
We divided into groups of three. (use into with divide)
She is in the same groups as me.
She is in the same group as me. (singular — one shared group)
The groups work was interesting.
The group work was interesting. (noun modifier stays singular)