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Nelson Doc
Hello, everybody!
I'm learning how to ask questions when you see people in a pic.
If my friend and I are looking at a picture, and there is someone not familiar to me, are these questions below right or wrong in order to know who she/he is?
1- Who is that? or Who is it?
It's ......
2- Is he a man or a woman? or Is it a man or a woman?
This one makes me get confused :(
Thanks in advance.
2021년 9월 28일 오전 3:33
답변 · 9
1
1. Who is this/that? (depending on where the picture is and where the person in the picture is)
2. The most natural thing to say would be 'Is this person a man or a woman?' Using 'Are they' isn't wrong, but it's how we phrase things when we don't care about the gender, which isn't the case here.
A: You got a call from a lawyer.
B: What did they say? (good)
B: What did he say? (using 'he' as the default is the old-fashioned way, but could cause offense these days.)
B: What did she say? (changing the default, which will also offend some)
B: What did he or she say? (grammatically ok but awkward)
B. What did it say? (wrong)
2021년 9월 28일
1
The first pair of question is correct.
As for the second one, I'd say "Are they a man or a woman?" or "Is that a man or a woman?", although this one is slightly less polite, unless you're in a social context where you're rather comfortable. If not, someone might think you're doubting the masculinity/femininity of that person, hence taking offence or generally considering you to be rude.
I don't know if I ever suggested it to you, but in case I didn't say so, I'm a tutor, and I'd be delighted to have a chat with you as you look like a polite and peaceable person, someone it would be nice to chat with! So I really hope you'll at least consider booking a trial lesson with me sooner or later, and the same goes if you ever decide to learn Italian!
2021년 9월 28일
1
Hi Nelson,
Good questions!
1. You would say “Who is that?”
2. “Are THEY a man or a woman?” You could also say “Are THEY male or female?” I would definitely NOT refer to someone as IT. This is quite rude and usually just for animals or other objects. (Although if you know an animal’s sex you can refer to them as he or she as well.)
Hope that helps!
2021년 9월 28일
1
“Who is that?” is correct in that context. “That” specifies a specific object.
“Is IT a man or a woman?” is correct. If you were to say “is HE a man or a woman,“ the HE already refers to a male.
2021년 9월 28일
1
Good luck
2021년 9월 28일
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Nelson Doc
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