Genders in English Grammar

Genders Definition, Types and 100 Examples

What are the Genders in English Grammar?

Gender in English grammar is a grammatical category used to indicate whether a noun or pronoun refers to a male, a female, a person or animal of unspecified sex, or something without biological sex. Gender helps us choose the correct nouns and pronouns when forming sentences.

For example, boy is a masculine noun, girl is a feminine noun, child is a common-gender noun, and book is a neuter-gender noun in traditional English grammar.

English grammar traditionally divides gender into four types: masculine gender, feminine gender, common gender, and neuter gender. These categories are particularly useful for learning vocabulary and understanding the use of pronouns such as he, she, and it.

Types of Gender in English Grammar

There are four main types of gender in traditional English grammar.

1. Masculine Gender

Masculine gender refers to a male person or animal.

Examples: Boy, man, father, king, brother, and bull.

2. Feminine Gender

Feminine gender refers to a female person or animal.

Examples: Girl, woman, mother, queen, sister, and cow.

3. Common Gender

Common gender refers to a noun that can describe a male or a female. The noun itself does not specify gender.

Examples: Child, student, teacher, doctor, parent, and friend.

4. Neuter Gender

Neuter gender traditionally refers to things that are neither male nor female, such as objects and inanimate things.

Examples: Book, table, chair, computer, pencil, and window.

In modern English, people are generally referred to using the pronouns they use for themselves. Animals may be referred to as he or she when their sex is known, or it when their sex is unknown or irrelevant. Objects are generally referred to as it.

100 Examples of Gender in English

The following tables contain 100 examples divided into three categories: human beings, animals, and non-living things.

Table 1: Gender Examples for Human Beings

This table includes masculine and feminine nouns, along with common-gender nouns that can refer to people of any gender.

No.	Masculine Gender	Feminine Gender	Common Gender
1	Boy	Girl	Child
2	Man	Woman	Person
3	Father	Mother	Parent
4	Son	Daughter	Offspring
5	Brother	Sister	Sibling
6	Husband	Wife	Spouse
7	King	Queen	Ruler
8	Prince	Princess	Royal
9	Uncle	Aunt	Relative
10	Nephew	Niece	Family member
11	Grandfather	Grandmother	Grandparent
12	Father-in-law	Mother-in-law	Parent-in-law
13	Bridegroom	Bride	Partner
14	Widower	Widow	Bereaved spouse
15	Monk	Nun	Religious member
16	Actor	Actress	Performer
17	Waiter	Waitress	Server
18	Host	Hostess	Host
19	Hero	Heroine	Lead character
20	Emperor	Empress	Monarch
21	Duke	Duchess	Noble
22	God	Goddess	Deity
23	Gentleman	Lady	Person
24	Landlord	Landlady	Property owner
25	Policeman	Policewoman	Police officer
26	Salesman	Saleswoman	Salesperson
27	Businessman	Businesswoman	Businessperson
28	Postman	Postwoman	Postal worker
29	Headmaster	Headmistress	School head
30	Headwaiter	Headwaitress	Head server
31	Male teacher	Female teacher	Teacher
32	Male doctor	Female doctor	Doctor
33	Male student	Female student	Student
34	Male nurse	Female nurse	Nurse
35	Male artist	Female artist	Artist

Table 2: Gender Examples for Animals

Animals can have masculine and feminine names. Some animals have distinct names for males and females, while others use the same general noun for both.

No.	Masculine Gender	Feminine Gender	Common Name
36	Lion	Lioness	Lion
37	Tiger	Tigress	Tiger
38	Bull	Cow	Cattle
39	Stallion	Mare	Horse
40	Ram	Ewe	Sheep
41	Buck	Doe	Deer
42	Fox	Vixen	Fox
43	Dog	Bitch	Dog
44	Tomcat	Queen	Cat
45	Peacock	Peahen	Peacock
46	Rooster	Hen	Chicken
47	Drake	Duck	Duck
48	Gander	Goose	Goose
49	Boar	Sow	Pig
50	Billy goat	Nanny goat	Goat
51	Jackass	Jenny	Donkey
52	Cob	Pen	Swan
53	Stallion	Jenny	Zebra
54	Male elephant	Female elephant	Elephant
55	Male camel	Female camel	Camel
56	Male rabbit	Female rabbit	Rabbit
57	Male hare	Female hare	Hare
58	Male bear	Female bear	Bear
59	Male wolf	Female wolf	Wolf
60	Male leopard	Female leopard	Leopard
61	Male cheetah	Female cheetah	Cheetah
62	Male giraffe	Female giraffe	Giraffe
63	Male monkey	Female monkey	Monkey
64	Male gorilla	Female gorilla	Gorilla
65	Male kangaroo	Female kangaroo	Kangaroo
66	Male squirrel	Female squirrel	Squirrel
67	Male pigeon	Female pigeon	Pigeon
68	Male eagle	Female eagle	Eagle
69	Male parrot	Female parrot	Parrot
70	Male crocodile	Female crocodile	Crocodile

Note: In some animal pairs, the masculine and feminine terms are standard names, such as stallion and mare. For many other species, English commonly uses male and female before the animal’s name. The word bitch is the standard term for a female dog, but it can be offensive when used to refer to a person.

Table 3: Gender Examples for Non-Living Things

In traditional English grammar, non-living things are generally classified as neuter gender. They do not have biological sex, and we normally use the pronoun it to refer to them.

No.	Noun	Gender	Pronoun
71	Book	Neuter	It
72	Table	Neuter	It
73	Chair	Neuter	It
74	Computer	Neuter	It
75	Pencil	Neuter	It
76	Window	Neuter	It
77	Door	Neuter	It
78	Car	Neuter	It
79	Bicycle	Neuter	It
80	Phone	Neuter	It
81	Bag	Neuter	It
82	Bottle	Neuter	It
83	Clock	Neuter	It
84	Watch	Neuter	It
85	Television	Neuter	It
86	Fan	Neuter	It
87	Bed	Neuter	It
88	Pillow	Neuter	It
89	Mirror	Neuter	It
90	Cup	Neuter	It
91	Plate	Neuter	It
92	Spoon	Neuter	It
93	Knife	Neuter	It
94	Key	Neuter	It
95	House	Neuter	It
96	School	Neuter	It
97	Garden	Neuter	It
98	Road	Neuter	It
99	Mountain	Neuter	It
100	River	Neuter	It

Difference Between Masculine, Feminine, Common, and Neuter Gender

Type of Gender	Meaning	Examples
Masculine	Refers to a male person or animal	Man, king, bull
Feminine	Refers to a female person or animal	Woman, queen, cow
Common	Can refer to a person of any gender	Teacher, student, child
Neuter	Traditionally refers to non-living things	Book, chair, computer

Conclusion

Gender is an important topic in English grammar because it helps learners understand nouns, pronouns, and the words used to describe people and animals. The four traditional types of gender are masculine, feminine, common, and neuter.

By studying the 100 examples in these tables, students can learn common masculine and feminine pairs, identify common-gender nouns, and understand why non-living things are traditionally classified as neuter. Regular practice with these examples will help improve English grammar, vocabulary, and sentence formation.