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Post by jeanne on Oct 27, 2021 1:13:39 GMT 1
Cars and countries, I believe, are usually referred to as "it." Probably in your area only???  No, not just in my area! Some people I know, particularly men who are really fond on their cars, might refer to their cars as "she." But there is no general use of gender for cars in American English. I really haven't heard of countries being referred to as "she." Can you give me an example of what you have heard or come across in your reading? |
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Post by Bonobo on Oct 27, 2021 21:52:47 GMT 1
I really haven't heard of countries being referred to as "she." Can you give me an example of what you have heard or come across in your reading? This one is about Russia but the same applies to Poland. https://www.reddit.com/r/answers/comments/60z2fc/when_speaking_of_russia_is_it_correct_to_write/ And Britain www.quora.com/Why-is-Britain-referred-to-as-she |
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Post by jeanne on Nov 4, 2021 0:14:08 GMT 1
Cars and countries, I believe, are usually referred to as "it." Probably in your area only??? N-o-o-o. . .in general. If you were paying close attention, you would have noticed that in a prior post I said, "...we Americans..." I'm referring to American English here...certainly not British English. I don't think I have heard the U.S. referred to as "she" or "he," for that matter, but the U.S. is frequently spoken of as "Uncle Sam," and then of course, the masculine is used. |
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Post by Bonobo on Nov 11, 2021 8:40:06 GMT 1
I don't think I have heard the U.S. referred to as "she" or "he," Because you are a collection of States so it is impossible to become he or she when there are so many. |
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Post by jeanne on Nov 23, 2021 1:15:28 GMT 1
I don't think I have heard the U.S. referred to as "she" or "he," Because you are a collection of States so it is impossible to become he or she when there are so many. Correct! |
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Post by goulangou on Nov 23, 2021 17:31:57 GMT 1
I always told my students in Poland (when teaching English) that an animal was an 'it' unless it has a name, in which case, he or she.
Also that the government or the company are are rather than is, unless it's American English in which case it's singular.
The squirrels round here are beginning to be less visible; perhaps they've collected most of their food to store and are now hiding. next it's the wild boar who turn up at night, snorting.
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Post by jeanne on Nov 26, 2021 14:12:15 GMT 1
I always told my students in Poland (when teaching English) that an animal was an 'it' unless it has a name, in which case, he or she. I think this is a good general rule to teach to students of English, but there are exceptions. At least in the U.S., again, I don't know about England, cows are referred to as "she" and bulls as "he" since those terms, cow and bull, in themselves refer to what gender the animal is; with most other animals, the gender may not be as clear. Another example: hen and rooster. |
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Post by Bonobo on Nov 26, 2021 21:12:21 GMT 1
perhaps they've collected most of their food to store and are now hiding I think they are a bit agitated trying to find more food or better shelter for winter. For the last week I have seen two dead squirels on the road. |
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Post by jeanne on Nov 28, 2021 2:04:32 GMT 1
I know some which have:) ships, cars, countries and Death. Ships...yes, okay. Cars, I'm not so sure of, or countries. Death, yes, when it is being referred to as the "Grim Reaper." Cars and countries, I believe, are usually referred to as "it." Hahaha...yesterday my next-door neighbor, a young man who works doing some kind of construction or such using heavy machinery rang our doorbell. When I opened the door, he said he just wanted to let me know that the huge truck which was parked in front of my house was only there temporarily and he would be moving it in the morning. He said, "SHE'LL be gone in the morning, I promise." He was being so nice in not wanting to be a nuisance, that I decided not to tell him he should have said, "IT will be gone in the morning..."  Did he just make a liar out of me?? I think perhaps he did!  |
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Post by Bonobo on Nov 28, 2021 18:29:15 GMT 1
Did he just make a liar out of me?? I think perhaps he did! No, he didn`t. He only personalised, or even antropomorphised it coz he is so fond of his female truck. The same motif appears in Polish literature: a moronic soldier, NCO from the Deluge, says: I am Mr Kowalski and this is Mrs Kowalska, pointing to his saber. |
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Post by jeanne on Nov 29, 2021 17:33:08 GMT 1
Did he just make a liar out of me?? I think perhaps he did! No, he didn`t. He only personalised, or even antropomorphised it coz he is so fond of his female truck. The same motif appears in Polish literature: a moronic soldier, NCO from the Deluge, says: I am Mr Kowalski and this is Mrs Kowalska, pointing to his saber. Well, that is a slight comfort for me. Your comparison to the example in The Deluge does fall apart however when one learns that this young neighbor of mine does not have that kind of marital emotional connection to this truck as the soldier did to his saber. Rather this relationship is more of a "one-night stand" if you know that expression.The truck was only borrowed from his employer to perform a certain task and then was being returned in the morning... |
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Post by Bonobo on Nov 30, 2021 9:23:34 GMT 1
The truck was only borrowed from his employer to perform a certain task and then was being returned in the morning... But he can endow all trucks with that antropomorphic attitude. |
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Post by jeanne on Dec 2, 2021 0:28:57 GMT 1
The truck was only borrowed from his employer to perform a certain task and then was being returned in the morning... But he can endow all trucks with that antropomorphic attitude. I guess so, but men don't feel the same way about all women, do they? Don't they feel closer to their favorites? |
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Post by Bonobo on Dec 4, 2021 21:45:16 GMT 1
I guess so, but men don't feel the same way about all women, do they? Don't they feel closer to their favorites? Who or what is favourites? ? ? ? ? Do you mean this person: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favourite ? |
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Post by jeanne on Dec 6, 2021 17:29:38 GMT 1
I guess so, but men don't feel the same way about all women, do they? Don't they feel closer to their favorites? Who or what is favourites? ? ? ? ? Do you mean this person: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favourite ? No...I didn't mean that kind of favorite. I was only using the word in the usual sense of liking something or someone more than others. It's human nature, and it is the underlying factor that draws humans to certain people more than to others. Those they prefer to spend time with are their "favorites." There are some people we all find ourselves avoiding because we don't like to be in their presence.
One can also have "favorites" in the categories of foods, music, artists, forums, academic subjects, books, sports, etc.
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