Blog about English
Masculine, feminine and gender-neutral nouns.
English nouns generally do not have grammatical gender.
Unlike many languages, English assigns gender primarily according to natural sex rather than grammatical classification.
People and many animals are referred to according to their natural gender.
Male and female nouns often have different forms, while many nouns are gender-neutral.
Many English nouns refer to people regardless of gender.
Words such as teacher, student, doctor and friend can refer to both males and females.
Some nouns have separate masculine and feminine forms.
Examples include actor/actress, waiter/waitress, prince/princess and king/queen.
Modern English increasingly prefers gender-neutral occupational titles.
Forms such as firefighter, police officer and chairperson are often preferred over gender-specific alternatives.
Animals are usually referred to with it unless their sex is known or relevant.
Pets and animals with emotional significance are often referred to as he or she.
Pronouns should agree with the natural gender of the person being referred to.
Choose he, she or they according to the intended meaning and current usage.
They may refer to a single person whose gender is unknown, irrelevant or non-binary.
Singular they is widely accepted in modern English and is common in both spoken and written language.
Objects, countries and ships may occasionally be referred to as he or she for stylistic purposes.
This usage is less common in modern English and is mainly found in literary, historical or traditional contexts.
Modern English generally avoids unnecessary gender-specific language.
Inclusive language is preferred in most contemporary academic, professional and public contexts.
Some traditional gender-specific nouns are now uncommon or have changed in meaning.
Examples include authoress, poetess and stewardess, which are largely replaced by gender-neutral alternatives.
Avoid assuming that English nouns have grammatical gender.
Common mistakes include assigning gender based on a learner's native language or using gender-specific terms where neutral alternatives are preferred.