gang

Everyday

1. A gang is a group of friends who spend time together. tree →
2. A gang is a group of criminals or of young people who cause trouble or fights. tree →
3. A gang is a group of workers doing a job together. tree →
4. To gang up on someone is to join together against one person. tree →
5. In Scottish speech, gang means to go. tree →

In the lessons

In stories a friendly gang of children has adventures; in safety lessons pupils learn about dangerous gangs and how to say no; in friendship lessons, ganging up on someone is a kind of bullying. Phrases: «a gang of friends», «gang up on», «the whole gang», «a criminal gang».

Examples

• The whole gang came to my birthday party. tree →
• A gang of robbers stole the jewels. tree →
• It's not fair to gang up on one person. tree →
• The gang built a den in the woods. tree →
• A gang of workers repaired the railway. tree →
• The police arrested the gang leader. tree →
• If older kids pressure you to join a gang, tell a trusted adult. tree →

Note

Countable. A group noun: «the gang is» or «the gang are» (UK). The friendly meaning and the criminal meaning are very different; look at the story to decide. Ganging up is bullying.