Please explain how to use collective nouns (singular or plural?) Thanks!

[Narayanan krishnaswamys]

Are these correct?
1. The first group is arriving today.
2. The first group of student volunteers are arriving
today.

[Alan]

In a word, yes. The plural or singular form of the verb is used even if the subject (a collective noun) is singular; The group is/are ... The group of volunteers is/are ...
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