Question

From the given sentence, form a feminine noun from the masculine noun given:
The author was on the verge of a new idea.

A. Writer
B. Writeress
C. Poetess
D. Authoress

Answer 1

Hint: A feminine noun is a form of a noun that represents its female counterpart. Example: Actress. A masculine noun is a form of a noun that represents its male counterpart. Example : Actor. In the given sentence, the masculine noun given is ‘author’. We will look for an option that represents its feminine form of noun.

Complete answer:
Let us analyse each option individually in detail to figure out the correct answer with the help of the above stated hint.

Writer: The noun ‘writer’ is a person who writes. This is a common gender noun. The person can either be a male or a female. Example: The writer of this book has won the award. Therefore, this is not the correct option.

Writeress: There exists no such word in English language. Therefore, this is not the correct option.

Poetess: The noun ‘poetess’ is the feminine form of the noun ‘poet’ who writes poems. Example: She is a great poetess. Therefore, this is not the correct option.

Authoress: The noun ‘authoress’ is the feminine form of the noun ‘author’ who is a person who is the writer or creator of any poem, essay, book etc. Therefore, this is the correct option.

Hence, the correct answer is option D.

Note: The masculine and the feminine form of nouns are used to distinguish between the genders of a noun. It specifies a male or a female counterpart of a noun. Example: A ‘sister’ represents a feminine form of the noun ‘sibling’ and a ‘brother’ represents a masculine form of the noun ‘sibling’.