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Common Mistakes in English - Female - Feminine / Male - Masculine

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Female - Feminine / Male - Masculine

Female / Male

Use female or male when referring to the sex of people, plants and animals.

Examples:

The female bear can be ferocious when defending its cubs.
Are you female or male?

Feminine / Masculine

Use feminine or masculine when referring to a characteristic that you feel is representative of the male or female of the species.

Examples:

Some people feel that he is rather feminine.
The decorating was very masculine in that house.

Femininity / Masculinity

These are the noun forms and refer to the state of being either feminine or masculine.

Examples:

Feminiity was viewed as a curse when displayed by males before the twentieth century.
Some wonder if his masculinity is too stressed.

Do you understand the rules? Test your knowledge with this Female - Male / Feminine - Masculine quiz.

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