English Grammar

Are animals it or she or he?

Fugendichter

User since 2008
Posts: 588

7 Dec. 2008

In my today's lesson I got a sentence to explain the difference between to strike, struck, struck, and to stroke:

I stroked the cat and she started to purr.

Is the cat grammatical neuter or female in English?

4 comments

AhQ ['a: kiu]
User since 2006
Posts: 2715
7 Dec. 2008

Hullo Gwendo!
The cat started to purr because it enjoyed to be taken as a human person. Considered as good-for-nothing an animal is grammatically neutral. But held in high esteem so as to be called as a human being, it turns grammatically sexualized, since rigged out with a male or female gender.

For my part all animals are "it-animals" because I don't cultivate any worship for animals. But some people do. I know a young girl who has got a cat. She speaks about it as "he" because her cat is a big male tomcat.
Most people who have pets consider them as persons whose sex is with relevance pointed out in their name, sometimes a human name. So it goes with some other animals than pets, like horses for instance. Do some snakes enjoy the same human first-rank? It might be for some people breed snakes.

I know you haven't got a pet, Gwendo. If you had, you wouldn't wonder about the gender.
Be lucky with or without a pet.
Hullo Gwendo! The cat started to purr because it enjoyed to be taken as a human person. Considered as good-for-nothing an animal is grammatically neutral. But held in high esteem so as to be called as a human being, it turns grammatically sexualized, since rigged out with a male or female gender. For my part all animals are "it-animals" because I don't cultivate any worship for animals. But some people do. I know a young girl who has got a cat. She speaks about it as "he" because her cat is a big male tomcat. Most people who have pets consider them as persons whose sex is with relevance pointed out in their name, sometimes a human name. So it goes with some other animals than pets, like horses for instance. Do some snakes enjoy the same human first-rank? It might be for some people breed snakes. I know you haven't got a pet, Gwendo. If you had, you wouldn't wonder about the gender. Be lucky with or without a pet.
Fugendichter
User since 2008
Posts: 588
7 Dec. 2008

Thanks for bringing lucky moments in my second Advent Sunday evening. You barked up the wrong tree: In the past I had many cats who (which) lived in and around the house, my sister and I integrated them in our role-plays, they all were very patient. Now there remained only two strayed cats KARLHEINZ AND FREDERIC, they come regularly several times a day and they get in a huff when I'm abroad.
You see: I like cats and they like me.
But I like English grammar too.

CW
Thanks for bringing lucky moments in my second Advent Sunday evening. You barked up the wrong tree: In the past I had many cats who (which) lived in and around the house, my sister and I integrated them in our role-plays, they all were very patient. Now there remained only two strayed cats KARLHEINZ AND FREDERIC, they come regularly several times a day and they get in a huff when I'm abroad. You see: I like cats and they like me. But I like English grammar too. CW
AhQ ['a: kiu]
User since 2006
Posts: 2715
7 Dec. 2008

Funny, funny. And a lot of respectability.
Karlheinz for sure is emulating his fellow-composer Stockhausen when He is yowling.
Frederic on the contrary must be huffy for not being rigged out with a K for He thinks He is a Prince of Freiburg im Brisgau and dreams of a princess named Gwendo.
Meowing at you during your many Advent Sundays.
Funny, funny. And a lot of respectability. Karlheinz for sure is emulating his fellow-composer Stockhausen when He is yowling. Frederic on the contrary must be huffy for not being rigged out with a K for He thinks He is a Prince of Freiburg im Brisgau and dreams of a princess named Gwendo. Meowing at you during your many Advent Sundays.
Fugendichter
User since 2008
Posts: 588
8 Dec. 2008

Dear fellow-English-learner, (should I change the thread to continue?)

Of course, Karlheinz often visited Freiburg, the musical academy for giving concerts (not so bad for the ears as expected in advance) and the musicology institute for conferences. He claimed to have been trained on the star of Sirius and to go back there after life. Composing the light cycle he might have been inspired by the light of the Sirius in the constellation of the Taurus obvious to the naked eye.
Cats however are said to come from the Peiades one of our near neighbours, 25 times more luminous than the sun.
Light seems to be the connecting link beetween the two K's.

Many lucky light moments on your blue (?) Monday.

CW
Dear fellow-English-learner, (should I change the thread to continue?) Of course, Karlheinz often visited Freiburg, the musical academy for giving concerts (not so bad for the ears as expected in advance) and the musicology institute for conferences. He claimed to have been trained on the star of Sirius and to go back there after life. Composing the light cycle he might have been inspired by the light of the Sirius in the constellation of the Taurus obvious to the naked eye. Cats however are said to come from the Peiades one of our near neighbours, 25 times more luminous than the sun. Light seems to be the connecting link beetween the two K's. Many lucky light moments on your blue (?) Monday. CW

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