Select a suitable option to complete the sentence-
There was a __________ of mosquitoes hovering over the slum area.
A) Swarm
B) Group
C) gang
D) Herd

Hint: Collective nouns are the names given to the collection or a number of people or things. Words like group, herd, array, pack, flock, staff, crew are the examples of the collective noun.

Complete answer:
Option A) Swarm – is the correct answer because ‘swarm’ means a group of insects and mosquitoes and swarm is usually used to discuss a group of bees, flies, ants. So, this is the correct answer as a swarm of mosquitoes.

Option B) Group – is an incorrect answer because ‘group’ is used for the large number or large gathering of people. So, the group cannot be used for mosquitoes. Thus, this is an incorrect answer.

Option C) Gang – is an incorrect answer because ‘gang’ is used for the criminals, used to describe for the workers. So, the use of gang here in the blank is inappropriate and this is an incorrect answer.

Option D) Herd – is an incorrect answer because ‘herd’ is used for a group of herbivorous animals or used for the group of livestock. Thus, the use of herd is inappropriate and an incorrect answer.
There was a swarm of mosquitoes hovering over the slum area. (Option A)

Hence the correct answer is option ‘A’.

Note:A collective noun is used to refer to an entire group of persons, animals or things but it is treated as a singular entity. Other examples of collective noun are-
1- Staff – refers to a group of people who work in the same organization or office.
2- Panel – refers to the group of experts.
3- Bunch – refers to a group of small objects or things such as a bunch of bananas, a bunch of keys, a bunch of grapes etc.
4- Shoal – refers to a group of fish.