Pronouns to be used with Animals

Question

Hello Experts,

Should we use 'it' or 'he'/'she' while referring to animals? In case both are correct, is one pronoun preferred over the other?

mikemcgarry · Answer

Dear Tina1785 , I'm happy to respond. :-)

First of all, I would say that in a personal or familial environment, when one "knows" an animal personally, such as a pet, then we often would use personal gendered pronouns for the animal. That's always in a very informal environment, when people are talking about personal connections (with people and animals) in their own lives. The material on the GMAT is always of a considerably more formal nature, such as an academic journal or a business paper. In such a context, one does not discuss one's personal relationships, and so any animals in this environment would be " it ," not " he " or " she ." More to the point, I have NEVER seen an official question discuss animals in the singular. If animals have appeared at all --- and I'm not sure I have even seen this --- then they have appeared in the plural, in which the gender-free " they " would be used. I think the entire issue of what pronoun to use for a single animal is one that the GMAT scrupulously avoids. Animals are not a common topic in history, government, and economics, which are the principal foci of the GMAT Verbal section. I would say: don't worry about this. Mike :-)

Tina1785 · Answer

Hello Mike, Thank you so much for the detailed reply.

jenniferlopez8255 · Answer

There are no hard and fast rules about whether to use "it" or "he"/ "she" when referring to animals. In general, it is considered polite to use "he" or "she" if the animal has a name or if it is being referred to in a personal way. For example, you might say "My dog, Sparky, is a good boy" or "The cat is sleeping on the couch."

However, it is also acceptable to use "it" when referring to animals, especially if the animal is not being referred to in a personal way. For example, you might say "The dog ate my homework" or "The cat scratched me."

Ultimately, the best way to decide which pronoun to use is to consider the context of the situation. If you are unsure, it is always best to err on the side of caution and use "it."

Here are some examples of how to use "he," "she," and "it" when referring to animals:

He: My dog, Sparky, is a good boy. He loves to play fetch and go for walks.
She: The cat is sleeping on the couch. She is very soft and cuddly.
It: The bird flew away. It was a beautiful blue jay.
As you can see, there is no one right way to refer to animals. The best way to choose is to consider the context of the situation.

Pronouns to be used with Animals

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