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Kilimanjaro Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

Which gender is human being?

A human being is an intelligent creature, ............?

a) isn't it
b) isn't he
c) isn't she
d) aren't they
e) aren't we

Hi,

As far as I know different genders are attributed to "human being" depending on the country where it is used.What's the gender for human being in English? Which option is possible for the above question?
  

Top answer

This is a tough one. " Many people today would say that it's pretty sexist. And while the plural "they" is often accepted as a singular, with such a blatent "A human being" being singular, it seems wrong in this sense.

— BarbaraPA

  • This is a tough one.
  • " Many people today would say that it's pretty sexist.
  • And while the plural "they" is often accepted as a singular, with such a blatent "A human being" being singular, it seems wrong in this sense.
  • I know this is the answer to a test question, but in real life, I would suggest rewriting in the plural: Human beings are intelligent creatures, aren't they?
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3 Answers
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This is a tough one. The expected answer is no doubt "isn't he," since "he" will stand in for "mankind." Many people today would say that it's pretty sexist. And while the plural "they" is often accepted as a singular, with such a blatent "A human being" being singular, it seems wrong in this sense.

I know this is the answer to a test question, but in real life, I would suggest rewriting
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A human being is an intelligent creature, ............?

a) isn't it wrong except isn't it [the fact]
b) isn't he possible
c) isn't she possible
d) aren't they possible
e) aren't we not excl
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