Grammar, Vocabulary Development: Nouns & Gender – SS1 English Lesson Note (First Term)

Gender in grammar is the grouping of nouns according to sex: masculine, feminine, common and neutral.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. name the four groups of gender and give examples of each;
2. write the masculine or feminine form of some proper nouns, common nouns and animal names;
3. describe the ways in which feminine nouns are formed;
4. explain the meaning of words associated with family life, such as cousin, nephew and stepmother;
5. state the difference between a nuclear family and an extended family.

What is gender and what are its groups?

Gender is the grammatical grouping of nouns by sex, and there are four groups: masculine, feminine, common and neutral.

• Masculine gender: names a male person or animal, for example boy, man, uncle, nephew.
• Feminine gender: names a female person or animal, for example woman, sister, girl, mother, niece.
• Common gender: names a person or animal that may be male or female, for example baby, infant, guardian, pupil, cousin, teacher.
• Neutral gender: names a thing without life, for example house, book, table, bag. Some books call this the neuter gender.

How are feminine nouns formed?

Feminine nouns are formed in four main ways: a different word, a changed ending, an added word and a title.

• A different word: the male and female words are not alike, as in father and mother, brother and sister, bull and cow.
• A changed or added ending: a suffix such as -ess, -a, -ine or -e is used, as in prince and princess, tiger and tigress, Victor and Victoria, Joseph and Josephine.
• An added word: a word showing sex is placed before the noun, as in he-goat and she-goat, or Boy Scout and Girl Guide.
• A title: the title changes with the sex, as in Mr and Mrs.

What are the genders of some proper nouns, common nouns and animals?

Nouns that name males and females often come in pairs, shown in the tables below.

Proper nouns (names of people)

Common nouns (and titles)

Animals

Vocabulary development: what are the words associated with family life?

Family vocabulary names the relationships between members of a family.

1. Half-brother: a boy or man who has only one parent (the same mother or father) in common with oneself. The female form is half-sister.
2. Grandchild: the child of one’s son or daughter.
3. Cousin: the child of one’s uncle or aunt.
4. Uncle: the brother of one’s mother or father, or the husband of one’s aunt.
5. Aunt: the sister of one’s mother or father, or the wife of one’s uncle.
6. Nephew: the son of one’s sister or brother.
7. Niece: the daughter of one’s sister or brother.
8. Stepmother: a woman who marries one’s father when she is not one’s own mother. The male form is stepfather.
9. Relative: a member of the same family or extended family as oneself.
10. Family: a group of people consisting of parents and their children.
11. Distant relative: a relative who is not closely related, such as one’s cousin’s child.

What is the difference between a nuclear family and an extended family?

A nuclear family is a family made up only of parents and their children.

An extended family is a group made up of parents and their children, together with other relatives such as aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents.

Evaluation

1. Name the four groups of gender and give two examples of each.
2. Write the feminine form of: Victor, Joseph, Prince, Tiger, Fox.
3. Write the masculine form of: Mother, Niece, Lady, Daughter, Goose.
4. Who is a cousin?
5. State the difference between a nuclear family and an extended family.

Assignment

1. Write the feminine form of: Alexander, Francis, Denis, He-goat, Bull.
2. Explain in your own words the meaning of uncle, aunt and nephew.