Question

Identify the ‘neuter gender noun' from the given sentence-
The child was so engrossed in stitching the shoe that the strong winds had little effect on him.
a) Child
b) Shoe
c) Stitch
d) Strong

Answer 1

Hint: A neuter gender noun refers chiefly (but not exclusively) to inanimate objects (neither masculine nor feminine).

Complete answer:
A neuter gender noun is a noun that denotes a lifeless thing. A thing which is neither male nor female. For example Pen, pencil, book, bed, etc. It is generally denoted with ‘it’ rather than ‘he' or ‘she’. In the given question, we are asked to identify the neuter gender noun from the given sentence.
Now, let us examine all the given options to find out the correct answer :
Option ‘a’ is Child. 'Child' is gender-neutral. As a result when referring to a child, one must then choose a pronoun he, she, or they. English does not have a gender-neutral way of referring to that individual. But it cannot be the correct answer as it is a common gender noun, it may sound neutral, but actually is not.
Option ‘b’ is Shoe. It is a noun of an inanimate object, that is neither masculine nor feminine. So, this is a neutral gender noun.
Option ‘c’ is Stitch. It is not a noun, but a verb. So, this cannot be the correct answer and we will eliminate this option straight away.
Option ‘d’ is Strong. It is not a noun but an adjective which is specifically describing the win in the given sentence. So, this option cannot be the correct option.
As we have analyzed all the given options, we can easily figure out the correct answer. Here, the neutral gender noun of the given sentence is – Shoe. So, the correct answer is “Option b”.

Note:
 Do not confuse between ‘child’ and ‘shoe’. A child may sound to be a neutral gender noun but in reality, that child is a he or she which means it is either masculine or feminine.