Linked Questions
11 questions linked to/from Usage of "it" pronoun for animals
1
vote
4
answers
30k
views
Use of "it" and "its" for people and animals
Can I use it and its for people?
Example:
The fear is the essential attribute of a human nature. It figures a crucial role in its survival.
where its means human's.
Can I use it and its for ...
137
votes
5
answers
204k
views
Can “whose” refer to an inanimate object?
We lit a fire whose fuel was old timber wood.
Is the word whose referring to fire, an inanimate object, correct in this sentence? Or is there a more appropriate word?
13
votes
5
answers
13k
views
Is it appropriate to refer to a person of unknown sex by "it"?
I would like to treat a user as a non-gender noun and refer to it with the gender-neutral pronoun, it. E.g.,
The user defines two variables, x and y. It then multiplies each variable by a prime ...
19
votes
5
answers
69k
views
Referring to objects as "she" [duplicate]
Sometimes people are referring to mechanical objects as "she":
I love my car. She always gets the best service.
Are there any rules when it is appropriate to use "she" instead of it, and is "he" ...
10
votes
6
answers
15k
views
"He" / "she" vs. "it" regarding beloved objects
Is that normal to regard a beloved object (an animal, a car, a book) as he/she? If yes, what gender should be used in this case?
One comment in this question touched the tendency to humanize things ...
12
votes
4
answers
60k
views
Pronoun "it" for baby?
Does anyone know why the word "baby" is referred to by the pronoun "it" rather than a human pronoun. Is there an historical/etymological reason?
9
votes
3
answers
9k
views
Why isn't "it" used in place of "he or she", "he/she", "s/he" etc.?
There is a related discussion on this Q&A site.
My question is different. I'm all for gender awareness, but why hasn't a properly defined pronoun "it" been used instead of "he/she" or "he or she",...
2
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Personal pronouns for animals
In my native language German, every animal has an article. This is understandable, if one wants for example to distinguish a male pig (boar) from a female pig (sow). But if one just talks about the ...
2
votes
3
answers
2k
views
'Which' applied to brute animals
I found the phrase “... the horse which ran was not the horse nor of the age which he was represented to be at the time of entry ...” in a sentence of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New ...
2
votes
2
answers
4k
views
When to use "to take a walk" & when to use "to walk"?
This website says
used with a noun instead of using a verb to describe an action. For
example, if you take a walk, you walk somewhere
So "to take a walk" & "to walk" can be used ...
2
votes
3
answers
230
views
The general 'it' [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What does “it” refer to in “it's raining”?
Whence the “it” in “I like it here”?
What is the grammatical term for the 'it'...