There are quite a few foods whose “group words” are irregular or surprising, which can confuse learners. For example, how would you refer to the cherries in the picture below? There are two of them, but they are attached in one… what? If you’re not sure, read on.
| Group + food | Picture | Examples |
| a bunch of bananas |  | There are 3 bananas in the bunch. Bunches of bananas are lining the shelf at the supermarket. The supermarket shelves are lined with bunches of bananas. |
| a bunch of grapes |  | She ate a whole bunch of grapes. How many grapes are in this bunch? |
| a cluster of cherries |  | A ripe cluster of cherries hung from the branch, ready to be picked. She carefully plucked a cluster of cherries and placed it in the basket. |
| a head of garlic (with cloves inside) |  | One head of garlic has many cloves. Add two cloves of garlic. Peel three cloves from a head of garlic. |
| a head of lettuce |  | Wash a head of lettuce thoroughly before making your sandwich. The chef garnished the plate with a fresh head of lettuce on the side. |
| an ear of corn (with kernels inside) |  | We grilled three ears of corn. There are hundreds of kernels on one ear of corn. |
| a head of cabbage |  | We need two heads of cabbage. The recipe calls for one head of cabbage, shredded for the salad. I bought a crisp head of cabbage from the farmer’s market this morning. |
| a pod of peas |  | I opened a pod of peas and popped the tiny green peas straight into my mouth. Each pod of peas contains five or six sweet, tender peas. |
| a bunch of parsley |  | She chopped a bunch of parsley and sprinkled it over the pasta for color and flavor. At the market, I picked up a fresh bunch of parsley for tomorrow’s soup. |
Practice
It’s time for practice! Complete the text below with the right group words.
At the farmer’s market, I picked up a ___ (1) of parsley to add some fresh flavor to my soup. Next, I found a bright green ___ (2) of lettuce and a firm ___ (3) of cabbage for a salad. Over by the produce stand, I noticed a ripe ___ (4) of cherries glistening in the sun. Nearby, the corn was stacked high—each ___ (5) of corn covered in golden kernels. I also grabbed a few ___ (6) of peas, still fresh and tender. Finally, I selected three ___ (7) of garlic from a plump ___ (8) of garlic, ready to roast with some vegetables.
Answer key 🔑
- bunch
- head
- head
- cluster
- ear
- pods
- cloves
- head
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