In the English language, nouns and pronouns can be classified into different genders. Sometimes, it is just the change in one or two letters in the word, an addition of two or more letters to the noun, and in other cases, the masculine and feminine genders are two totally different words. Go through the article to learn the meaning and definition of gender in English grammar. Furthermore, check out the examples to learn about the different genders.
Table of Contents
- What Is Gender in Grammar? – Meaning and Definition
- Examples of Gender in English Grammar
- Frequently Asked Questions on Gender in English Grammar
What Is Gender in Grammar? – Meaning and Definition
Gender indicates whether a particular noun or pronoun is masculine, feminine or neuter. Though most nouns in the English language do not have a gender(neuter gender), there are nouns related to people and animals which have different genders.
According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, the term ‘gender’ is defined as “each of the classes (masculine, feminine, and sometimes neuter) into which nouns, pronouns, and adjectives are divided; the division of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives into these different genders. Different genders may have different endings, etc.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines gender as “a subclass within a grammatical class (such as noun, pronoun, adjective, or verb) of a language that is partly arbitrary but also partly based on distinguishable characteristics and that determines agreement with and selection of other words or grammatical forms”.
Examples of Gender in English Grammar
Gender of nouns can be classified as masculine, feminine and the neuter gender. Given below are a few examples of gender.
Masculine Gender Examples
- Man
- Boy
- Uncle
- Lion
- Fox
Feminine Gender Examples
- Girl
- Queen
- Cow
- Niece
- Hen
Neuter Gender Examples
- Box
- Stone
- Car
- Mountain
- River
Frequently Asked Questions on Gender in English Grammar
What is gender in English grammar?
Gender indicates whether a particular noun or pronoun is masculine, feminine or neuter. Though most nouns in the English language do not have a gender, there are nouns related to people and animals which have different genders.
What is the definition of gender in grammar?
According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, the term ‘gender’ is defined as “each of the classes (masculine, feminine, and sometimes neuter) into which nouns, pronouns, and adjectives are divided; the division of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives into these different genders. Different genders may have different endings, etc.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines gender as “a subclass within a grammatical class (such as noun, pronoun, adjective, or verb) of a language that is partly arbitrary but also partly based on distinguishable characteristics (such as shape, social rank, manner of existence, or sex) and that determines agreement with and selection of other words or grammatical forms”.
Give some examples of gender in grammar.
Here are a few examples of gender for your reference.
- Man – woman
- Boy – girl
- Chairman – chairwoman
- Stallion – mare
- Buck – doe
- Cock – hen
