Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Masculine titles
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question tests basic knowledge of gender in English nouns. The words Boy, man, uncle, fireman, and grandfather all refer to people and carry an implied gender. You must identify whether they represent feminine, masculine, both, or neither, based on standard grammatical classification used in traditional grammar teaching.
Given Data / Assumptions:
1) Boy refers to a male child.
2) Man refers to an adult male human being.
3) Uncle is the brother of a parent or the husband of an aunt, and is male.
4) Fireman is a traditional term for a male firefighter.
5) Grandfather is the father of ones father or mother, and is male.
Concept / Approach:
In traditional grammar, nouns that refer specifically to male beings are called masculine gender nouns, while those that refer to female beings are called feminine gender nouns. Some words can be used for both genders, and some are neutral. All the words listed in the question point clearly to male persons, so they all belong to the masculine gender category. Therefore the phrase masculine titles correctly classifies the list.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Classify Boy. It clearly refers to a male child, thus masculine.
Step 2: Classify Man. By definition it is an adult male person.
Step 3: Classify Uncle. An uncle is always male, either a parents brother or aunts husband.
Step 4: Classify Fireman. The traditional word ends with man and refers to a male firefighter, even though modern usage often prefers firefighter as gender neutral term.
Step 5: Classify Grandfather. The word describes a male grandparent, the father of a parent.
Step 6: Since every listed word refers to a male person, the common category is masculine gender.
Verification / Alternative check:
Check against possible feminine equivalents. Girl or daughter would be feminine counterparts for boy or son. Woman or grandmother would be feminine counterparts for man and grandfather. Aunt would be feminine counterpart for uncle. There is no feminine word on the given list. Therefore the list is purely masculine. This rules out feminine, both, and none of the above as possible correct answers.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Feminine titles is incorrect because none of the words refer specifically to female persons. Both feminine and masculine titles cannot be correct because the list is not mixed. None of the above is incorrect because masculine titles is a valid and accurate description of the given words. Thus the only appropriate choice is masculine titles.
Common Pitfalls:
Some learners may become distracted by social changes in language, such as the move from fireman to firefighter, and wonder whether the classification still applies. In traditional grammar questions like this, however, examiners expect you to recognise the older, gender specific forms as masculine. Staying focused on the actual words presented and their traditional gender is the safest approach for exam accuracy.
Final Answer:
Boy, man, uncle, fireman, and grandfather are all Masculine titles in traditional English grammar classification.
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