Gender (grammar lesson)


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Gender - Glossary of Terms

Gender

The gender of a noun can be masculine, feminine or neuter. In English, all nouns are neuter unless they obviously refer to something male or female.

Examples:

cup - neuter gender / boy - masculine gender / princess - feminine gender

Ships and other machines are sometimes affectionately given a feminine gender.

I have worked most of my life on this boat; she is a beauty.

It is also common practice to use a masculine gender in writing to represent both masculine and feminine.

Example:

Each actor must read his line when the light by his name illuminates.

The alternative is very unwieldy:

Example:

Each actor/actress must read his/her line when the light by his/her name illuminates.

See also:

Glossary of grammatical terms