Choose the correct collective noun to complete the sentence: “Every evening a ____________ of wolves descends into the valley to hunt.”

Introduction:
Collective noun questions test your knowledge of standard English terms used to describe groups of animals, people, or things. The sentence mentions wolves descending into a valley to hunt, which gives a natural context involving wild animals and their hunting behaviour. You must select the collective noun that is conventionally used for a group of wolves, without changing the rest of the sentence.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- Sentence: Every evening a ____________ of wolves descends into the valley to hunt. - Options: pack, gang, company, herd. - Only one of these is the standard collective noun for wolves in English.

Concept / Approach:
In English, a group of wolves is commonly referred to as a pack of wolves. This usage is well established in both scientific contexts and popular literature, reflecting the social structure of wolves that hunt and live together in organised groups. Herd is used for animals such as cows, deer, or elephants. Company is rarely used as a collective noun for animals, and gang is informal and usually associated with people or urban animals like street dogs in nonstandard usage. Therefore, the correct answer is pack.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the animal mentioned, which is wolves. Step 2: Recall standard collective nouns: a pack of wolves, a herd of cattle, a flock of birds, and so on. Step 3: Match pack to wolves, as this combination is widely recognised. Step 4: Read the completed sentence: Every evening a pack of wolves descends into the valley to hunt, and check that it sounds natural. Step 5: Confirm that the other options do not normally collocate with wolves.

Verification / Alternative check:
Look at typical usage in books or documentaries: A pack of wolves followed the herd across the plains or The pack of wolves worked together to bring down a large animal. These examples reinforce that pack is the established term. By contrast, phrases like a herd of wolves or a gang of wolves sound odd and are not standard. Company of wolves may appear poetically, but it is not the usual collective noun taught in grammar contexts.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Gang is mainly used to describe organised groups of people, often with negative connotations, such as a gang of thieves. Company is more abstract and used for human groups or for the idea of companionship. Herd is reserved for grazing animals like cattle, horses, or deer. Because the question aims to test knowledge of conventional animal group terms, these alternatives do not fit.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes apply collective nouns too widely without remembering that specific animals have specific group names. A helpful study technique is to learn animal names and their standard collective nouns together, such as a pride of lions, a shoal of fish, a flock of sheep, and a pack of wolves. Revising these pairs regularly makes it easy to answer such questions quickly in an exam.

Final Answer:
pack is the correct collective noun for wolves in this sentence.