He, She or It? Understanding Gender in English Grammar

What Is Gender in English?

Gender in grammar refers to the classification of nouns and pronouns into categories such as masculine, feminine, or neutral. In many languages, every noun has a gender. In English, gender is much simpler — it mainly applies to people and animals, not to objects.

This makes English easier to learn compared to languages like French or Spanish, where every noun has a grammatical gender.

Simple Examples to Illustrate

• He is a doctor. (masculine)
• She is a teacher. (feminine)
• It is a table. (neutral — for objects)
• They are students. (plural or gender-neutral)

As you can see, gender in English mostly shows up in pronouns, not in nouns themselves.

The Key Elements of Gender in English

Let us look at the main ways gender appears in English grammar.

1. Personal Pronouns

Pronouns change depending on the gender of the person or animal you are talking about.

• I saw him at the park. (masculine)
• I gave her the book. (feminine)
• The cat lost its ball. (neutral animal)

2. Gendered Nouns for People

Some nouns in English have different forms for men and women. These are called gendered nouns.

• The king lives in the castle.
• The queen lives in the castle too.
• The actor won an award. / The actress won an award.

However, many modern English speakers use gender-neutral words. For example, ‘actor’ is now often used for both men and women.

3. Gender-Neutral Nouns

Most English nouns do not have a gender. We use neutral nouns for objects, places, and abstract ideas.

• The car is fast. — We say ‘it is fast,’ not ‘he is fast.’
• The house is big. — We say ‘it is big.’
• The book is interesting. — We say ‘it is interesting.’

This is very different from French or Spanish, where ‘car,’ ‘house,’ and ‘book’ all have a grammatical gender.

Why Gender in English Matters

Understanding gender in English helps you use the right pronouns and choose the right words when talking about people. Using the wrong pronoun can cause confusion or even be disrespectful. For example, calling a woman ‘he’ or a man ‘she’ is a mistake that can make communication awkward.

It also helps you understand texts better. When you read ‘She opened the door,’ you immediately know we are talking about a woman or a girl.

In modern English, the pronoun ‘they’ is also used for a single person when the gender is unknown or when a person prefers a gender-neutral pronoun. For example: ‘My friend called. They will come tomorrow.’

Comparison with Other Languages

English gender is much simpler than in French or Spanish. Here is a quick comparison:

In French, you say ‘le livre’ (masculine) for ‘the book’ and ‘la table’ (feminine) for ‘the table.’ In English, both are simply ‘the book’ and ‘the table’ — no gender difference.

This is great news for English learners! You do not need to memorise the gender of every noun.

A Complete Example

Let us look at a short paragraph and identify all the gendered words:

‘My brother and his wife have a dog. He is a doctor and she is a lawyer. Their dog is very friendly. It loves to play in the garden.’

• his → masculine possessive (refers to ‘brother’)
• He → masculine pronoun (refers to ‘brother’)
• she → feminine pronoun (refers to ‘wife’)
• Their → plural possessive (refers to ‘brother and wife’)
• It → neutral pronoun (refers to ‘dog’)

Notice how only pronouns change to show gender. The nouns ‘dog,’ ‘garden,’ and ‘house’ stay the same.

Key Points to Remember

• English does not give a gender to most nouns — only pronouns change.
• Use he / him / his for males.
• Use she / her / her for females.
• Use it / it / its for objects, places, and most animals.
• Use they / them / their for groups or when gender is unknown.
• Some nouns have masculine and feminine forms (actor / actress, king / queen).
• English is simpler than French or Spanish because articles and adjectives do not change with gender.

Sources

• Swan, M. (2005). Practical English Usage. Oxford University Press.
• Quirk, R., Greenbaum, S., Leech, G., and Svartvik, J. (1985). A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Longman.
• Huddleston, R. and Pullum, G. K. (2002). The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge University Press.