Related Pages
What Is the Masculine Gender? (with Examples)
Masculine Gender (English Grammar)
Masculine gender is one of three genders in English grammar. The three genders for nouns and pronouns are as follows:
If the word does not denote something obviously masculine or feminine, then it is a neuter word.
Click on Two Masculine Nouns
Getting ready...
Getting ready...
Getting ready...
Getting ready...
Getting ready...
Getting ready...
Getting ready...
Getting ready...
Getting ready...
Getting ready...
Getting ready...
Getting ready...
Getting ready...
Getting ready...
Getting ready...
Getting ready...
Getting ready...
Getting ready...

Gender | Pronoun | Possessive Determiner (a type of pronoun) | Possessive Pronoun |
---|---|---|---|
masculine pronouns | he Example: He is warm. | his Example: Those are his tools. | his Example: Those are his. |
feminine pronouns | she Example: She is warm. | her Example: Those are her shoes. | hers Example: These are hers. |
neuter pronouns | it Example: It is warm. | its Example: Those are its toys. | its Example: These are its. (rare) |
Unless its meaning makes it obviously male (e.g., "boy," "king," "boar") or female (e.g., "princess," "hen," "mare"), a noun in English is neuter by default. Here are two noteworthy points related to gender:
- Large machines. Large machines such as ships and trains, which - by default - are neuter, are sometimes affectionately given a female gender (i.e., referred to as "she" or "her").
- Animals. An animal is referred to as "it." It is only referred to as "he" or "she" when the sex is known.

Why Should I Care about Masculine Gender?
There are three noteworthy issues related to masculine gender.(Issue 1) Finding an alternative to "his/her."
In the past,"he" or "his" was used in documents to denote "his or her." This is no longer an acceptable practice, and "their" is used instead. Look at these sentences:- Every person must remember which horses he rode.
- Anyone who neglects his responsibility will be sacked.
Here are some options:
- Every person must remember which horses he/she rode.
- Anyone who neglects his/her responsibility will be sacked.
- Every person must remember which horses they rode.
- Anyone who neglects their responsibility will be sacked.
(Issue 2) Choosing the right version of "blonde/blond."
The word "blond/blonde" changes depending on its gender."Blond" is a noun meaning a fair-haired male.
- The blond has a unique dancing style.
(for a boy)
- The blond girl and the blond boy make a nice blond couple. (When it's an adjective, "blond" can be used for all genders.)
- The blonde a unique dancing style.
(for a girl)
- The blonde girl and the blond boy make a nice blond couple. (As an adjective, "blonde" or "blond" can be used to describe females.)
(Issue 3) Using gender-neutral pronouns for people who do not identify themselves as either male or female.
Some people identify as non-binary; i.e. they do not identify as male or female. These people might ask you to use "they" (and of course "their," "them," "theirs," "themself") or just their name instead of a pronoun (e.g., "Sarah," "Sarah's," "Sarah's self") when talking about them.Read more about using non-binary pronouns.
Key Points
- When writing about someone whose gender is unknown, don't use "he/she," "his/her," etc. Use "they," "their," etc. For example:
- Any person who believes
he/she isthey are being disadvantaged should raise the issue withhis/hertheir team leader. - Use "blond" for men and "blonde" for women.
- Use "they" when talking about non-binary people.
A Video Summary
Here is 9-minute video summarizing grammatical gender in English.Interactive Exercise
Here are three randomly selected questions from a larger exercise, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?