It vs. He and She

'It', 'she', and 'he' are personal pronouns that show person and number. 'He' and 'she' also show gender. Read this article to know these three pronouns.

"It" vs. "He" and "She" in the English Grammar

Main Similarity

These three pronouns are third-person singular subject pronouns in the English language. 'He' and 'she' are the only gender-specific pronouns in English.

Main Difference

'He' mainly refers to a male person, and 'she' to a female person.

'It' is a little more complicated. Not only is it used to refer to objects and non-human things, but it can also be used to refer to humans (male or female). Let us get to it.

'It' Referring to Humans

Normally 'it' is used to refer to an animal or a thing. However, in some contexts, 'it' can be used to refer to people. For example:

  • When we want to talk about a baby, especially one that we do not know their gender

Congratulation! It's a boy!

My husbands hopes it will be a girl.

  • When we want to identify a person or telling someone who you are (especially on the phone or at the door)

'Who is it?' 'It's me, Alan.'

'It's your brother on the phone.'

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