Language (English) • Class 6 Appendix-II Item 22 150 Mins Overall

Gender

Comprehensive AISSEE Class 6 English guide for Gender. Covers Masculine, Feminine, Common, and Neuter genders, 60+ master animal/bird pairs (stallion/mare, drake/duck, gander/goose, ram/ewe), aristocratic titles (duke/duchess), personification, solved models, and 10 drills.

Overview & Fundamental Concept

Official Syllabus Coverage Breakdown

Syllabus Item	Prescribed Scope	Exam Relevance & Pedagogical Objective
Item 22	The 4 grammatical genders (Masculine, Feminine, Common, Neuter); 60+ master catalogue of animal, bird, and livestock gender pairs; aristocratic and occupational titles; personification of gender (strength vs beauty).	Classify all 4 grammatical genders, master 60+ traditional animal and bird gender pairs, identify common vs neuter nouns, and apply personification gender rules correctly.

1. The Four Grammatical Genders in English

In English grammar, Gender classifies nouns and pronouns based on biological sex or the absence of sex.
1. Masculine Gender: Denotes male human beings and male animals (e.g., man, boy, king, father, bull, stallion, lion, rooster). Pronouns: he, him, his.
2. Feminine Gender: Denotes female human beings and female animals (e.g., woman, girl, queen, mother, cow, mare, lioness, hen). Pronouns: she, her, hers.
3. Common Gender: Denotes nouns that can refer to EITHER a male or a female without indicating sex:
• Occupations & Roles: doctor, teacher, student, cadet, soldier, engineer, artist, singer, pilot, parent, child, baby, cousin, friend, neighbor.
• Concord Rule: In traditional formal grammar, when the sex is unknown, the masculine pronoun 'he' was used generically, but modern English prefers plural 'they' or 'he/she'.
4. Neuter Gender (Latin: ne-uter = neither of the two): Denotes inanimate non-living objects, plants, concepts, and lower creatures whose sex is disregarded:
• Objects: table, chair, book, pen, rock, water, gold, mountain.
• Pronoun: It / its (e.g., 'The tree dropped its leaves'; 'The clock struck its chime').

Grammatical Gender	Biological Nature	Applicable Entities	Standard Pronoun	Textbook Examples
Masculine	Male sex	Men, boys, male animals	he / him / his	emperor, tiger, nephew, drake, hero
Feminine	Female sex	Women, girls, female animals	she / her / hers	empress, tigress, niece, duck, heroine
Common	Either male or female	Professional roles, relationships	he/she or they	cadet, doctor, parent, infant, cousin
Neuter	Neither male nor female	Inanimate objects, materials, concepts	it / its	sword, shield, fortress, honor, tree

Cadet Mnemonic • M-F-C-N Gender Quadrant

M - Male, F - Female, C - Combined (either), N - Neither (inanimate)!

M: Boys and bulls.
F: Girls and cows.
C: Teachers and doctors.
N: Tables and rocks.

Exam Trick • Speed Shortcut

Ask: 'Can this word be either a man or a woman?' If yes (like 'dentist', 'cousin', 'baby'), it is COMMON GENDER. If it cannot have sex because it is non-living (like 'stone', 'pencil'), it is NEUTER GENDER.

AISSEE Trap Alert • Common Confusion

'Baby' and 'Child' are classified as COMMON GENDER. However, when referring to an infant whose sex is unknown, the neuter pronoun 'it' is often used in English ('The baby dropped its rattle').

2. Master Reference Table: High-Yield Animal & Bird Gender Pairs

Study this definitive master reference table of 60+ animal, bird, and livestock gender pairs.
These specific archaic and agricultural terms form the backbone of AISSEE gender testing.

Species / Common Name	Masculine Gender	Feminine Gender	Offspring / Young One	Examiner Memory Anchor
Horse	Stallion	Mare	Foal / Colt / Filly	Stallion = Male; Mare = Female
Cattle / Bovine	Bull	Cow	Calf	Bull / Cow
Sheep	Ram	Ewe	Lamb	Ram = Male; Ewe (/juː/) = Female
Duck	Drake	Duck	Duckling	Drake = Male; Duck = Female
Goose	Gander	Goose	Gosling	Gander = Male; Goose = Female
Chicken / Fowl	Rooster / Cock	Hen	Chick	Rooster / Hen
Pig / Swine	Boar	Sow	Piglet	Boar = Male; Sow (/saʊ/) = Female
Deer	Buck / Stag	Doe / Hind	Fawn	Stag/Hind (Red deer); Buck/Doe (Roe deer)
Dog	Dog	Bitch	Puppy	Dog = Male; Bitch = Female
Fox	Fox / Dog-fox	Vixen	Kit / Cub	Vixen = Female fox
Lion	Lion	Lioness	Cub	Suffix -ess added
Tiger	Tiger	Tigress	Cub	Vowel shift + -ess (tigress)
Leopard	Leopard	Leopardess	Cub	Suffix -ess added
Swan	Cob	Pen	Cygnet	Cob = Male swan; Pen = Female swan
Goat	Billy-goat / Buck	Nanny-goat / Doe	Kid	Billy / Nanny
Cat	Tomcat / Tom	Queen	Kitten	Tom = Male; Queen = Female cat
Bee	Drone	Queen	Larva	Drone = Male bee (no sting); Queen = Female
Rabbit / Hare	Buck	Doe	Kit / Bunny	Buck = Male; Doe = Female
Peafowl	Peacock	Peahen	Peachick	Peacock / Peahen
Wolf	Dog-wolf	Bitch-wolf / She-wolf	Pup / Cub	She-wolf
Elephant	Bull-elephant	Cow-elephant	Calf	Bull / Cow terminology
Whale	Bull-whale	Cow-whale	Calf	Bull / Cow terminology
Camel	Bull-camel	Cow-camel	Calf	Bull / Cow terminology
Donkey / Ass	Jack / Jackass	Jenny / Jennet	Foal	Jack = Male; Jenny = Female
Bear	Boar-bear	Sow-bear	Cub	Boar / Sow terminology
Ferret	Hob	Jill	Kit	Hob = Male; Jill = Female
Turkey	Tom / Gobbler	Hen	Poult	Tom = Male turkey
Pigeon	Cock-pigeon	Hen-pigeon	Squab	Cock / Hen terminology
Seal	Bull-seal	Cow-seal	Pup	Bull / Cow terminology
Kangaroo	Buck / Boomer / Jack	Doe / Flyer / Jill	Joey	Boomer = Male; Flyer = Female

Cadet Mnemonic • Drake & Gander Pair

DRAKE swims with DUCK; GANDER waddles with GOOSE; RAM grazes with EWE!

Drake = Male Duck.
Gander = Male Goose.
Ram = Male Sheep (female is Ewe, pronounced 'You').
Cob = Male Swan (female is Pen).

Exam Trick • Speed Shortcut

Remember 'Vixen' is the female fox (starts with V). 'Drone' is the male bee (does not make honey).

AISSEE Trap Alert • Common Confusion

'Ewe' is pronounced exactly like 'YOU' (/juː/), NOT 'ee-wee'! It is a female sheep and takes the indefinite article 'a' ('a ewe', because it starts with a consonant /j/ sound).

3. Human Occupations, Aristocratic Titles & Suffixation Rules

Feminine nouns for humans are formed using three distinct morphological processes:
1. By Adding Suffix '-ess' (With or Without Syllable Contraction):
• Direct -ess addition: author -> authoress; host -> hostess; priest -> priestess; poet -> poetess; prince -> princess; count -> countess; baron -> baroness; shepherd -> shepherdess.
• Dropping the vowel of the masculine ending: actor -> actress; waiter -> waitress; master -> mistress; tiger -> tigress; emperor -> empress; conductor -> conductress; hunter -> huntress; traitor -> traitress.
• Irregular suffixation: duke -> duchess; marquis -> marchioness; abbot -> abbess; governor -> governess; god -> goddess; lad -> lass.
2. By Using an Entirely Different Word (Lexical Pairs):
• Bachelor -> Spinster / Maid; Monk / Friar -> Nun; Wizard -> Witch; Widower -> Widow.
• Nephew -> Niece; Uncle -> Aunt; King -> Queen; Lord -> Lady; Sir -> Madam.
• Earl -> Countess; Bridegroom -> Bride; Gentleman -> Lady; Colt -> Filly.
3. By Changing a Prefix or Suffix in Compound Nouns:
• Grandfather -> Grandmother; Man-servant -> Maid-servant; Landlord -> Landlady; Peacock -> Peahen; Washerman -> Washerwoman; Milkman -> Milkmaid.

Masculine Title / Role	Feminine Equivalent	Formation Mechanism	Common False Option
Duke	Duchess	Irregular suffixation (-ess + spelling shift)	Dukess
Marquis / Marquess	Marchioness	Classical French-Norman derivation	Marquisess
Earl	Countess	Entirely different lexical pair	Earless
Monk / Friar	Nun	Entirely different lexical pair	Monkess
Wizard	Witch	Entirely different lexical pair	Wizardess
Bachelor	Spinster	Entirely different lexical pair	Bachelorette
Widower	Widow	Masculine formed from feminine by adding -er!	Widowess
Emperor	Empress	Vowel dropping + -ess	Emperoress
Governor	Governess	Irregular suffixation	Governor-lady
Heir	Heiress	Direct suffixation (-ess)	Heir-woman
Bridegroom	Bride	Masculine formed by adding 'groom' to bride	Groomess
Lad	Lass	Classical Celtic/Scottish pair	Laddess

Cadet Mnemonic • Duke & Earl Code

The DUKE marries the DUCHESS; the EARL marries the COUNTESS!

Duke -> Duchess (not dukess).
Earl -> Countess (not earless).
Monk -> Nun (not monkess).

Exam Trick • Speed Shortcut

Remember 'Widower' is one of the rare words where the MASCULINE is formed from the feminine! 'Widow' (female whose husband died) + '-er' = 'Widower' (male whose wife died).

AISSEE Trap Alert • Common Confusion

'Bachelor' has 'Spinster' as its traditional feminine pair in AISSEE questions. Do not choose 'Single woman'.

4. Personification of Gender: Strength vs Beauty

In literature and formal English, inanimate objects, natural phenomena, and abstract entities are often Personified (spoken of as if they were living human persons).
1. Personified as MASCULINE (Power, Strength, Violence, Severity):
• Entities associated with physical might, fierce heat, destructive power, or stern authority are personified as MASCULINE and referred to using He / Him / His:
• The Sun: 'The Sun sheds his beams on rich and poor alike.'
• Summer, Winter: 'Winter came with his icy breath.'
• Time, Death, War, Storm, Wind, Thunder: 'Death lays his icy hand on kings.'; 'Time marches on in his relentless course.'
2. Personified as FEMININE (Beauty, Grace, Gentleness, Fertility, Protection):
• Entities associated with gentleness, maternal care, sweet light, tranquility, or nurturing fertility are personified as FEMININE and referred to using She / Her / Hers:
• The Moon: 'The Moon hid her face behind the clouds.'
• The Earth, Nature: 'Earth yields her harvest to mankind.'; 'Nature never did betray the heart that loved her.'
• Spring, Autumn: 'Spring spreads her green mantle over the valleys.'
• Nations & Ships: 'India is proud of her valiant soldiers.'; 'The Titanic sank on her maiden voyage.'
• Virtues: Liberty, Justice, Mercy, Peace, Hope, Charity, Modesty (e.g., 'Justice was blindfolded as she held the scales.').

Entity Personified	Personified Gender	Psychological Justification	Attributed Pronoun	Classic Literary Sentence
The Sun	Masculine	Fierce heat, sovereign power, life-giving might	he / his	The Sun shows his fierce brilliance at noon.
The Moon	Feminine	Gentle, silver, reflective, soothing beauty	she / her	The Moon cast her pale glow upon the lake.
Death	Masculine	Grim, inexorable, conqueror of all mortals	he / his	Death lays his icy hands on royal kings.
Earth / Nature	Feminine	Maternal nurturer, fertile mother of life	she / her	Mother Earth opens her bosom to feed humanity.
Ship / Vessel	Feminine	Protective home upon treacherous waves	she / her	The naval frigate sliced her way through rough seas.
Spring	Feminine	Youth, blossom, renewal, sweet freshness	she / her	Spring showers her colorful blossoms everywhere.
Winter	Masculine	Harsh, severe, barren, cruel cold	he / his	Winter froze the river with his bitter frost.
Nation / Motherland	Feminine	Maternal sanctuary, patriotic mother	she / her	Every cadet vows to defend her territorial borders.

Cadet Mnemonic • Sun is HE, Moon is SHE

SUN is fierce (HE); MOON is gentle (SHE); DEATH is grim (HE); EARTH is mother (SHE)!

Fierce heat / Power = Masculine (Sun, Death, Winter, War).
Gentle beauty / Nurturing = Feminine (Moon, Earth, Spring, Ships, Nations).

Exam Trick • Speed Shortcut

Whenever a ship (e.g. INS Vikrant, Titanic) or a country (India, France) is referred to with a personal pronoun in literature or military drills, it is ALWAYS FEMININE: 'she' or 'her'.

Visual Concept Blueprint • Vector Architecture

Speed Shortcuts & Mental Calculation Strategies

Master these high-yield time-saving heuristics curated by top AISSEE scorers to eliminate calculation bottlenecks and answer questions in under 45 seconds.

Shortcut Technique 1: The Animal Gender Quadrant Drill

Shortcut Technique 2: The Personification Power-Rule

Shortcut Technique 3: The Common Gender Filter

Interactive 3D Revision Flashcards Deck

Click any card to flip and reveal the key exam rule or topper secret.

REVISION FLASHCARD

What are the feminine pairs for Stallion, Drake, and Gander?

CADET MEMORY KEY

Stallion -> Mare; Drake -> Duck; Gander -> Goose.

REVISION FLASHCARD

What are the feminine pairs for Ram, Fox, and Cob (Swan)?

CADET MEMORY KEY

Ram -> Ewe; Fox -> Vixen; Cob -> Pen.

REVISION FLASHCARD

What is Common Gender? Give 4 examples.

CADET MEMORY KEY

Nouns that refer to either male or female living beings: Doctor, Teacher, Cadet, Cousin, Child.

REVISION FLASHCARD

How are the Sun and the Moon personified in English?

CADET MEMORY KEY

The Sun is personified as MASCULINE (he/his) due to fierce power and heat. The Moon is personified as FEMININE (she/her) due to gentle, soothing beauty.

REVISION FLASHCARD

What are the feminine equivalents of Duke, Earl, and Bachelor?

CADET MEMORY KEY

Duke -> Duchess; Earl -> Countess; Bachelor -> Spinster.

Common Traps & Examination Pitfalls

Avoid the Speed-Guess Trap: Under AISSEE pressure, candidates frequently misread units (e.g., mixing metres and centimetres, or per hour and per second) and confuse complementary ($90^\circ$) with supplementary ($180^\circ$) angles. Read every stem carefully and check units before selecting your OMR option.

Key Identities & Formulas

Personification Gender Formula

$$\begin{cases} \mathbf{Might / Severity / Death} & \implies \mathbf{Masculine (He / His)} \\ \mathbf{Beauty / Fertility / Ships} & \implies \mathbf{Feminine (She / Her)} \end{cases}$$

Occupational Feminine Derivation Equation

$$\mathbf{Masculine\ Root} + \mathbf{-ess} \quad [\pm \text{Vowel Drop}] = \mathbf{Feminine\ Title} \quad (\text{Actor} \to \text{Actress})$$

Step-by-Step Solved Examination Models

Solved Example 1 Model Problem

What is the feminine gender of 'Drake'?

(A) A) Goose

(B) B) Duck

(C) C) Hen

(D) D) Pen

Detailed Solution:

Solved Example 2 Model Problem

Choose the feminine gender of 'Duke':

(A) A) Duchess

(B) B) Dukess

(C) C) Countess

(D) D) Princess

Detailed Solution:

Solved Example 3 Model Problem

Fill in the blank with the appropriate pronoun: 'The Sun shed _______ blazing rays over the scorched desert.'

(A) A) her

(B) B) its

(C) C) his

(D) D) their

Detailed Solution:

AISSEE High-Yield Practice Drills (10 Questions)

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Question 1 of 10 Exam Standard

What is the feminine gender of 'Stallion'?

Correct Answer: Option (A)

'Stallion' is an adult male horse; 'Mare' is the female horse.

Question 2 of 10 Exam Standard

Select the feminine gender of 'Ram':

Correct Answer: Option (A)

'Ram' is a male sheep; 'Ewe' (pronounced 'you') is the female sheep.

Question 3 of 10 Exam Standard

What is the masculine gender of 'Vixen'?

Correct Answer: Option (A)

'Vixen' is a female fox; 'Fox' is the masculine form.

Question 4 of 10 Exam Standard

Choose the feminine gender of 'Gander':

Correct Answer: Option (A)

'Gander' is a male goose; 'Goose' is the female form.

Question 5 of 10 Exam Standard

Which of the following nouns belongs to Common Gender?

Correct Answer: Option (A)

'Doctor' can refer to either a male or female, making it Common Gender.

Question 6 of 10 Exam Standard

What is the feminine gender of 'Earl'?

Correct Answer: Option (A)

The feminine equivalent of the British noble title 'Earl' is 'Countess'.

Question 7 of 10 Exam Standard

What is the masculine gender of 'Spinster'?

Correct Answer: Option (A)

'Bachelor' is an unmarried man; 'Spinster' is an unmarried woman.

Question 8 of 10 Exam Standard

Fill in the blank with the personified pronoun: 'Death lays _______ icy hands on kings.'

Correct Answer: Option (A)

'Death' is personified as a mighty, relentless male figure taking 'his' icy hands.

Question 9 of 10 Exam Standard

What is the feminine gender of 'Wizard'?

Correct Answer: Option (A)

The feminine equivalent of 'Wizard' is 'Witch'.

Question 10 of 10 Exam Standard

What is the masculine gender of 'Bee' (specifically the non-worker male)?

Correct Answer: Option (A)

'Drone' is the male bee; 'Queen' is the fertile female bee.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a ship referred to as 'she'?

Maritime tradition personifies ships as feminine figures that protect, shelter, and carry their crew across dangerous waters like a mother.

Is 'child' neuter or common gender?

'Child' is a COMMON gender noun because it refers to a young human being (male or female). However, in sentences where the sex is unknown, the neuter pronoun 'it' is sometimes used ('The child was playing with its toy').

What is the difference between 'widow' and 'widower'?

A 'Widow' is a woman whose husband has died. A 'Widower' is a man whose wife has died.

Gender

Overview & Fundamental Concept

Speed Shortcuts & Mental Calculation Strategies

Key Identities & Formulas

AISSEE High-Yield Practice Drills (10 Questions)

Drill Completed, Cadet!

AISSEE Timed Mini Mock Simulator

AISSEE 5-Minute Timed Mini Mock Test

Cadet Mock Performance Report