Question

Identify the ‘common gender noun’ used in the following sentence:
The officer was on the prowl for the girl who killed her husband.
A)Prowl
B)Husband
C)Girl
D)Officer

Answer 1

Hint: Common gender nouns are those nouns that are used for both males and females.
Many occupations are treated as having a common gender, denoting feminine nouns, and masculine nouns.

Complete step-by-step answer:

 As given in the hint, Common gender nouns are applicable for both genders.
Example- The baby is sleeping. Here, the baby can be either a boy or a girl.
Now, let’s look at the given options:
Prowl- It is a verb that denotes an action. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Example- We saw beggars prowling by the dumpster.
Husband- It is the masculine gender noun of a wife. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Example- My friend’s husband bought a new car.
Girl- It is the feminine gender noun of a boy. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Example- I saw a girl running on the street.
Officer- It refers to an occupation that can be represented by both, feminine and masculine gender nouns. Hence, it is the correct answer.
Example- An officer asked us to halt our car.
The correct answer is Option ‘d’.

Note: Common gender nouns do not include neuter genders (non-living things).