Gender

Section 11.1.2.1

Gender

In English, as in many other languages, you must keep the gender of a noun in mind when choosing a pronoun to replace or refer to it. Nouns that referto male human beings (or animals, if the sex is significant) are masculine; nounsthat refer to female human beings (or animals, if the sex is significant) arefeminine; nouns that refer to inanimate objects or abstract concepts are neuter. (See also Sexist Language.)

Isaac Newton (masculine), Dorothy Mary Crowfoot (feminine), the device, theresult (neuter)

When replacing a masculine or feminine noun with a pronoun, choose the pronounthat corresponds in gender to the noun.

Gas bubbles were first implicated in decompression illness by the Frenchphysiologist Paul Bert. He proved that thebubbles were composed of nitrogen; because oxygen ismetabolized by tissue cells, it is not usually a problemduring decompression.

--"The Physiology of Decompression Illness," Scientific American

Mary Leakey first went to Kenya and Tanzania in 1935and, except for forays to Europe and the U.S., she has madethem her home.

--"Profile: Mary Leakey," Scientific American (modified)

## Gender ##

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