His shoes were covered with mud; he had torn his coat on t he thorny tree. Using “he or she” is a bit better but, still, too many words when one will do. In many languages, such as French, German, Spanish, etc. If you’d like to continue this multi-faceted study into the world of pronouns, come on over and join the fun. This type of language is referred to as an 'anthropomorphism'. Most people use 'it' in modern times. Learn more. So, there are a few options in this situation: It seems as though there’s no clear answer to the he/she debate. Whereas "he" and "she" are used for entities treated as people (including supernatural beings and, sometimes, sympathetic non-human animals, especially pets), the pronoun "it" is normally used for entities not regarded as persons, though the use of "he" or "she" is optional for non-human animals of known sex (and obligatory for animals referred to by a proper name). 23. Here are a few grammar rules for he/she usage that will help you stay the course and achieve your writing goals. – rules, examples and exercises • teacher’s handout with keys included • 4 tasks • 2 pages • editable Level: elementary Age: 10-17 For example, some patriotic songs in the USA contain feminine references. We use they in place of plural nouns. Her bountiful culture, welcoming people and amazing cuisine always call me back!Old England. But he paid no attention to he r warning. She keeps a look out for any intruder. Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. See our Privacy Policy and User Agreement for details. YourDictionary has a wealth of resources on the subject, including: Copyright © 2020 LoveToKnow. In other words, things are referred to as 'he' or 'she'. He will save Europe! Ah France! (She is a kind neighbour.) (It carried its house.) We use he, she, it in place of singular nouns. (from Song) ... bless America, land that I love. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. Martha is a kind neighbour. We use your LinkedIn profile and activity data to personalize ads and to show you more relevant ads. 70. Using “he/she” seems clunky. Some people refer to their car as 'she', while sailors commonly refer to ships as 'she'. When speaking about animals in English use 'it'. 45. However, it's still quite common to come across the use of 'she' in more formal, academic or sometimes patriotic settings. In this case an ‘ s ’ or ‘ es ’ is added to the infinitive form of the verb (e.g. (It is empty.) They develop a personal relationship with these objects and give them human traits: anthropomorphism.