English -- Class 4

Topic: Gender
Name: ____________________________Class: 4Date: ________________
Learning Objectives
Let Us Begin!

Look at these words: king and queen. A king is a man and a queen is a woman. In English, nouns that refer to males are called masculine gender and nouns that refer to females are called feminine gender. But what about words like "teacher" or "table"? Let us learn about all four types of gender.

The Four Types of Gender

1. Masculine Gender -- Nouns that refer to males. Examples: boy, father, brother, king, lion.

2. Feminine Gender -- Nouns that refer to females. Examples: girl, mother, sister, queen, lioness.

3. Common Gender -- Nouns that can refer to either a male or a female. Examples: teacher, doctor, student, cousin, baby.

4. Neuter Gender -- Nouns that refer to things that are neither male nor female (non-living things). Examples: table, book, chair, pen, school.

Think about it: The word "parent" can mean a father or a mother. So "parent" is common gender.

Key Words
Key WordMeaning
Masculine GenderA noun that refers to a male person or animal.
Feminine GenderA noun that refers to a female person or animal.
Common GenderA noun that can refer to either male or female.
Neuter GenderA noun that refers to a non-living thing (neither male nor female).
Masculine and Feminine Pairs -- People
MasculineFeminine
boygirl
manwoman
fathermother
brothersister
uncleaunt
nephewniece
sondaughter
kingqueen
princeprincess
heroheroine
actoractress
waiterwaitress
husbandwife
gentlemanlady
bridegroombride
monknun
wizardwitch
Masculine and Feminine Pairs -- Animals
MasculineFeminine
lionlioness
tigertigress
peacockpeahen
horsemare
dogbitch
bullcow
cockhen
stagdoe
foxvixen
drakeduck

Think about it: India's national bird is the peacock. The female is called a peahen.

English -- Class 4 (continued)

Topic: Gender -- Common, Neuter, and Practice
Common Gender Nouns

These nouns can be used for both males and females:

Examples of Common Gender

teacher -- A teacher can be a man or a woman.

doctor -- A doctor can be male or female.

student -- A student can be a boy or a girl.

Other examples: cousin, friend, baby, child, parent, pilot, singer, neighbour, enemy, servant.

Neuter Gender Nouns

Non-living things have no gender. They are called neuter gender nouns.

Examples of Neuter Gender

table, book, chair, pen, school, river, mountain, computer, bicycle, house, stone, lamp.

Think about it: Can a "chair" be male or female? No! So it is neuter gender.

Key Points to Remember
Practice Questions

A. Write the Feminine Gender

  1. brother --
  2. prince --
  3. lion --
  4. peacock --
  5. hero --
  6. horse --
  7. nephew --
  8. waiter --

B. Write the Masculine Gender

  1. queen --
  2. hen --
  3. wife --
  4. vixen --
  5. nun --

C. Identify the Gender Type

Write M (Masculine), F (Feminine), C (Common), or N (Neuter) next to each noun.

  1. doctor
  2. table
  3. actress
  4. father
  5. baby
  6. river
  7. tigress
  8. student

D. Multiple Choice Questions

  1. The feminine of "peacock" is:
    (a) peahen(b) peacockess(c) peafowl
  2. "Cousin" is an example of:
    (a) masculine gender(b) feminine gender(c) common gender
  3. Which of these is neuter gender?
    (a) bride(b) chair(c) niece

E. Fill in the Blanks

  1. The (masculine of "cow") pulled the cart in the field.
  2. My (feminine of "uncle") lives in Jaipur.
  3. The (feminine of "tiger") protected her cubs.
Fun Activity -- Gender Sorting

Sort the following words into the correct column: king, book, teacher, lioness, pen, nephew, doctor, mare, lamp, bride.

MasculineFeminineCommonNeuter