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Alex+ Posted 19 years ago
Vocabulary
can we call a child "it"?
1. Can we call a baby or a child "it" if we don't know the child's sex?
ex. Look at that child. It's so cute. I like its curly hair.
2. Must we put the article "a" in this sentence?
ex. Is it a she or a he?
ex. Look at that child. It's so cute. I like its curly hair.
2. Must we put the article "a" in this sentence?
ex. Is it a she or a he?
Top answer
Yes, I think you can, but I would have thought a child with curly hair would be identifiable. With a baby it is much less easy to tell whcih *** it is; and in #2, no, you needn't have "a". "
- Yes, I think you can, but I would have thought a child with curly hair would be identifiable.
- With a baby it is much less easy to tell whcih *** it is; and in #2, no, you needn't have "a".
- "
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5 Answers
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Yes, I think you can, but I would have thought a child with curly hair would be identifiable. With a baby it is much less easy to tell whcih *** it is; and in #2, no, you needn't have "a". But it is more usual to say "Is it a boy or a girl?"
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Hi,
1. Can we call a baby or a child "it" if we don't know the child's ***?
ex. Look at that child. It's so cute. I like its curly hair.
I'd say 'it' is commonly used for small babies, although not, of course, by those who know and love the baby, and not usually when talking to the parents or relatives. To be truthful,
1. Can we call a baby or a child "it" if we don't know the child's ***?
ex. Look at that child. It's so cute. I like its curly hair.
I'd say 'it' is commonly used for small babies, although not, of course, by those who know and love the baby, and not usually when talking to the parents or relatives. To be truthful,
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1. Is it "he" or "she"?
2. Is it a he or a she?
I would agree that both are possible; but for me, #1 would be less usual and would suggest a submerged grammatical enquiry (i.e. Should I say "he" or "she"?), while #2 would be roughly synonymous with "Is it a boy or a girl?".
Interestingly, one of the earliest direct references to a new-born baby tends to be "It's a
2. Is it a he or a she?
I would agree that both are possible; but for me, #1 would be less usual and would suggest a submerged grammatical enquiry (i.e. Should I say "he" or "she"?), while #2 would be roughly synonymous with "Is it a boy or a girl?".
Interestingly, one of the earliest direct references to a new-born baby tends to be "It's a
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one of the earliest direct references to a new-born baby tends to be "It's a boy!" or "It's a girl!".And throughout the rest of its life, it says, referring to itself, "It's me!" And if I appear unexpectedly at a friend's, they say "It's Jim!"
Does this mean that we actually refer even to adults as "it"? Or is there less direct re
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