📘 GENDER IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR – COMPLETE GUIDE:
1. Definition of Gender
Gender is the grammatical classification of nouns and pronouns according to the sex or absence of sex they denote.
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If a noun denotes a male being → Masculine.
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If a noun denotes a female being → Feminine.
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If a noun can be used for both sexes → Common Gender.
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If a noun denotes a thing without life → Neuter Gender.
2. Classification of Gender
(A) Masculine Gender → denotes male beings.
Examples:
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Man, boy, father, brother, son, king, uncle, husband, monk, bull, cock, drake, stallion, wizard, emperor.
(B) Feminine Gender → denotes female beings.
Examples:
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Woman, girl, mother, sister, daughter, queen, aunt, wife, nun, cow, hen, goose, vixen, mare, tigress, empress.
(C) Common Gender → used for both males and females.
Examples:
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Child, student, teacher, pupil, baby, parent, doctor, friend, guest, singer, neighbour, enemy, cousin.
(D) Neuter Gender → denotes lifeless things (normally no sex).
Examples:
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Chair, table, pen, book, car, mountain, tree, house, machine, television, lamp.
Note (Personification): Sometimes neuter nouns are treated as masculine/feminine.
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Masculine (power/strength): Sun, Winter, Time, Death, Ocean, War
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Feminine (beauty/tenderness): Moon, Earth, Liberty, Nature, Peace, Fortune, Mercy
3. Ways of Forming Feminine Gender
Rule 1️⃣: By Using Different Words (True Masculine / True Feminine)
| Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|
| Boy | Girl |
| Man | Woman |
| Father | Mother |
| Husband | Wife |
| King | Queen |
| Uncle | Aunt |
| Monk | Nun |
| Bachelor | Spinster |
| Lord | Lady |
| Wizard | Witch |
| Nephew | Niece |
| Duke | Duchess |
| Emperor | Empress |
| Gander (goose) | Goose |
| Ram (sheep) | Ewe |
| Boar (swine) | Sow |
| Buck (deer) | Doe |
| Stallion (horse) | Mare |
| Dog-fox | Vixen |
| Drake (duck) | Duck |
| Earl | Countess |
| Bridegroom | Bride |
| Widower | Widow |
| Czar | Czarina |
Rule 2️⃣: By Adding Feminine Suffixes
Common Suffixes:
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-ess → actor → actress, waiter → waitress
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-ine → hero → heroine
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-trix → executor → executrix
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-a / -ina → czar → czarina, signor → signora
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-ette → major → majorette
| Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|
| Actor | Actress |
| Host | Hostess |
| Lion | Lioness |
| Tiger | Tigress |
| Steward | Stewardess |
| Waiter | Waitress |
| Poet | Poetess |
| Prophet | Prophetess |
| Heir | Heiress |
| Shepherd | Shepherdess |
| Emperor | Empress |
| Duke | Duchess |
| Executor | Executrix |
| Hero | Heroine |
| Czar | Czarina |
| Signor | Signora |
| Tutor | Tutress |
| Songster | Songstress |
| Hunter | Huntress |
| Tempter | Temptress |
Rule 3️⃣: By Prefixing “He- / She-” or Compound Forms
| Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|
| He-goat | She-goat |
| He-ass | She-ass |
| He-wolf | She-wolf |
| He-elephant | She-elephant |
| Man-servant | Maid-servant |
| Landlord | Landlady |
| Milkman | Milkmaid |
| Gentleman | Gentlewoman |
| Policeman | Policewoman |
| Salesman | Saleswoman |
| Chairman | Chairwoman |
Rule 4️⃣: By Internal Change or Irregular Forms
| Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|
| Master | Mistress |
| Sir | Madam |
| Governor | Governess |
| Mayor | Mayoress |
| Marquis | Marchioness |
| Abbot | Abbess |
| God | Goddess |
| Votary | Votaress |
4. Special Notes on Gender Usage
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Profession Titles (Modern vs Old)
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Old: actor/actress, waiter/waitress, steward/stewardess
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Modern: actor, waiter, flight attendant → gender-neutral in modern English.
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Animals with Distinct Gender Forms
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Horse → Stallion / Mare
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Ox → Bull / Cow
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Deer → Buck / Doe
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Sheep → Ram / Ewe
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Goat → He-goat / She-goat
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Goose → Gander / Goose
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Duck → Drake / Duck
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Fox → Dog-fox / Vixen
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Lion → Lion / Lioness
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Tiger → Tiger / Tigress
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Personification (Competitive Exam Important)
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Masculine → Sun, Summer, Winter, Ocean, Death, Time, War, Storm.
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Feminine → Earth, Nature, Moon, Liberty, Fortune, Spring, Hope, Mercy.
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5. Gender and Pronouns
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Masculine: he, him, his
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Feminine: she, her, hers
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Common: they, them, their
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Neuter: it, its
6. Archaic / Rare Feminine Forms (Exam Traps)
| Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|
| Sutor (shoemaker) | Sutrix |
| Arbiter | Arbitress |
| Master | Mistress |
| Prior | Prioress |
| Testator | Testatrix |
| Executor | Executrix |
| Governor | Governess |
| Hunter | Huntress |
| Sorcerer | Sorceress |
| Negus | Negress (now obsolete/derogatory) |
7. Miscellaneous
Masculine → Feminine
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Alexander → Alexandrina
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Charles → Charlotte / Caroline
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Czar → Czarina
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John → Jane
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Joseph → Josephine
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Signor → Signora
Masculine → Feminine
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Henry → Henrietta / Harriet
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Hero → Heroine
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Sultan → Sultana
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Testator → Testatrix
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Viceroy → Vicereine
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William → Wilhelmina
8. Masculine Derived from Feminine
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Bridegroom (from bride)
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Widower (from widow)
9. Double Feminines
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Seamstress
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Songstress
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Spinsteress
10. Some Feminine Nouns Have No Corresponding Masculine
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Amazon – a woman of masculine manners (মার্দিনী)
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Blonde – a fair girl (গৌরবর্ণী)
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Coquette – a woman who amuses herself by seeking admiration from others (ভানবাজা প্রদর্শনকারিণী)
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Dowager – a widow with a dower (বৃত্তিসহ বিধবা)
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Flirt – a woman flirting with men (ক্রীড়া প্রণয়ের খেলা যাহার খেলে)
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Nurse – a female nurse (মহিলা শুশ্রূষাকারিণী)
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Prude – a woman of affected modesty (কৃত্রিম লজ্জাশীলা)
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Shrew – a scolding woman (কলহপ্রিয়া রমণী)
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Siren – a charming but wicked woman (প্রলোভনকারিণী)
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Virgin – a maiden (কুমারী)
11. By adding a Feminine word:
Masculine — Feminine
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Bull-calf — Cow-calf
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Foster-father — Foster-mother
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Grandfather — Grandmother
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Great-uncle — Great-aunt
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He-goat — She-goat
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Landlord — Landlady
Masculine — Feminine
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Man-servant — Maid-servant / Woman-servant
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Milkman — Milkmaid
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Merman — Mermaid
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Peacock — Peahen
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Schoolmaster — Schoolmistress
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Washerman — Washerwoman
12. Nouns of Common Gender:
Common — Masculine — Feminine
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Calf — Bullock — Heifer
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Child — Son, Boy — Daughter, Girl
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Deer — Hart, Stag — Roe, Hind
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Fowl — Cock — Hen
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Horse — Stallion — Mare
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Monarch / Sovereign — King, Emperor — Queen, Empress
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Orphan — Boy (without parents) — Girl (without parents)
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Parent — Father — Mother
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Person — Man — Woman
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Pig — Boar — Sow
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Servant — Man-servant — Maid-servant
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Sheep — Ram — Ewe
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Spouse — Husband — Wife
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Student — Male student — Female (or, Girl) student
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Teacher — Male teacher — Female (or, Lady) teacher
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