2 Answers. Historically, “her” was commonly used as a pronoun for not only women, but also for both countries and ships (e.g. sailing vessels). However, that usage has more or less fallen out of favor, and instead
“its”
has become the preferred pronoun.
Is country a noun or pronoun?
Yes, Country
is a common noun
. It can be a proper noun only when you name the country like India, China, etc.
Is country a he or she?
Usually a country is an it
, though there are exceptions every once in a while. Sometimes people refer to a country as a she to give it an element of importance and personality.
Is a country its or their?
What is the correct usage of pronouns in referring to
countries
? … Both the Associated Press and the New York Times style books, for example, recommend using “it” or “its” to refer to ships and countries.
Can I use she for a country?
Q. Should she or it be used as a pronoun for a country? …
Never use she to refer to a country
. You’ll sound as if you either don’t know English or last studied it in 1950.
Can I use her for a country?
Historically, “her” was commonly used as a pronoun for not only women, but also
for both countries and ships
(e.g. sailing vessels). However, that usage has more or less fallen out of favor, and instead “its” has become the preferred pronoun.
Which pronoun is used for city?
In a work of fiction, using
he or she
for a city may be consistent with the speaking style of a character. For expository writing, I always agree with ewie, with no exceptions.
What are 10 common nouns?
- People: mother, father, baby, child, toddler, teenager, grandmother, student, teacher, minister, businessperson, salesclerk, woman, man.
- Animals: lion, tiger, bear, dog, cat, alligator, cricket, bird, wolf.
- Things: table, truck, book, pencil, iPad, computer, coat, boots,
How many countries are in this world?
Countries in the World:
There are
195 countries
in the world today. This total comprises 193 countries that are member states of the United Nations and 2 countries that are non-member observer states: the Holy See and the State of Palestine.
Why is she used for a country?
It’s not gender-neutral, it’s
the use of the feminine for a non-living being
, which happens sometimes (i.e. vehicles, ships) and in this category where she is used, are countries. Most people would use it, it sort of adds a nuance of admiration on behalf of the speaker by using the feminine pronoun.
Can you use they for a country?
Is a country they or it?
Country is a singular noun
(and is not, obviously the plural countries), so must be referred to by a singular pronoun, it rather than they. … If you use “they” it will generally suggest you are referring to the people in the country.
Can you use who for a country?
Here, we are referring to the
English cricketers
, and so “who” is used. This is common when using the name of the country, or city, when talking about sport.
What gender are countries?
“Stand beside her, and guide her,” we sing in “God Bless America.” Come to think of it, most nations of the world are referred to in the
female gender
. Why is that? English is one of the few languages that does not distinguish between masculine and feminine nouns.
Are English cities feminine?
Cities and countries don’t have gender in English
. Sometimes, however, the a city or country is referred to as “she”, especially in poetic contexts. Ships also are sometimes referred to as “she”, even if they’re named after men, like the ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald in the famous song (1975) by Gordon Lightfoot.
Can a company be referred to as her?
A company is it
, not “he” or “she”. If you are talking about a specific person, such as the director of the company, then you would use the appropriate pronoun, depending upon whether the person is a man or a woman.
Why are all ships female?
Another tradition is to consider ships as female, referring to them as ‘she’. … Although it may sound strange referring to an inanimate object as ‘she’, this tradition relates to the idea of a female figure such as
a mother or goddess guiding and protecting a ship and crew
.
