hanuman_2000  +  202386 Thu, 02 Mar 06 04:51 AM Hello, I was taught that we normally use the pronoun "it" for animals and othe non living things. But, sometimes I see sentence like this This is Tipu. He is our puppy. Why "he" has been used for "puppy"? hanuman_2000 Joined on Thu, Aug 12 2004 INDIA Contributing Member 1,644 Nouns, Pronouns

	Grammar Geek  +  202389 Thu, 02 Mar 06 04:59 AM Most people would use he or she to refer to a pet (or any animal in which the gender was known). I would never call my cat an "it."  He is, in fact, at this very moment, lying across my forearms while I type. But if you know the sex of the animal, use it. "The mother bear was very protective of her cub. She kept a sharp look out for possible threats." It would sound awkward to say "The mother bear was very protective of its cub. It kept... etc."  On the other hand, a squirrel in the yard isn't going to be flashing you, so you can say "Look at the squirrel - it's so cute."  Grammar Geek Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006 Veteran Member 19,683 Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random! Genders

	rishonly  +  202392 Thu, 02 Mar 06 05:08 AM  Grammar Geek wrote: a squirrel in the yard isn't going to be flashing you I am a big fan of reading such humors, GG. rishonly Joined on Sat, Mar 5 2005 KUMBAKONAM,INDIA Contributing Member 1,782 Regards, Krishna Grammar