Beginner 📐 Grammar · #211 of 305

Gender of Nouns

Some English nouns have male and female forms.

Examples

  • actor / actress
  • king / queen

Key rules

  • Some nouns have a male and a female form (actor / actress, host / hostess, waiter / waitress)
  • Many jobs now use one neutral word (actor, server, police officer, flight attendant)
  • Some pairs are different words (king / queen, uncle / aunt)
  • Animals can also have separate names (cow / bull)

Common mistakes

  • She is an actor, and he is an actress → She is an actress and he is an actor
  • policeman for a woman → police officer
💡 Tip: Use neutral job titles when you do not know the gender.
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Related Beginner topics

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Nouns: Naming Words

A noun names a person, place, thing or idea.

Singular and Plural Nouns

Add -s to most nouns; add -es after s, x, ch, sh.

Irregular Plurals

Some nouns change form instead of adding -s.

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Countable nouns can be counted; uncountable ones cannot take a/an or plural.

Proper and Common Nouns

Proper nouns name specific things and start with a capital letter.

Subject Pronouns

I, you, he, she, it, we, they replace the subject.