Animals & Insects

This lesson introduces common animal and insect vocabulary used in everyday and professional contexts. You will learn names, basic definitions, and typical collocations used in reports, emails, and conversations.

• Learn common animal and insect names and their plural forms.
• Practice collocations and collective nouns (e.g., a swarm of bees).
• Use vocabulary in workplace contexts: pest control, wildlife reports, branding and imagery.

Key points to remember when using these words:

• Most animal and insect names are countable: use a/an for singular (a bee, an ant).
• Some nouns have irregular plurals: one deer → several deer, one mouse → two mice.
• Use collective nouns: a swarm of bees, a colony of ants, a flock of birds.
• Choose precise vocabulary in reports: 'pest' vs 'wildlife' depending on tone.

Check plural forms and collective nouns when writing formal reports.

Frequent universal errors when using animal and insect vocabulary:

• Using the wrong plural form (e.g., 'sheeps' instead of 'sheep').
• Forgetting articles with singular countable nouns (e.g., saying 'bee is important' instead of 'a bee is important').
• Confusing collective nouns or using them incorrectly (e.g., 'a swarm of birds').
• Using imprecise terms in reports (e.g., writing 'pests' when you mean a specific insect).

When in doubt, check a dictionary for plural forms and correct collective nouns.