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I would like to know what personal pronoun would be correct to use instead of the word "sheep" in a sentence?

It is a sheep.

or

She is a sheep.

I'll try to explain myself in a better way. I know that when we speak about an animal, in general, we use the pronoun "It" : it is a dog for ex. but I read some were that "sheep" is an exception and has to be referred to as a "she" . But I can't find any confirmation to that.

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  • Are you sure you mean to ask about the verb to be? It sounds like you are asking about pronouns.
    – Em.
    Commented Nov 2, 2016 at 8:11
  • i"ll try to explain myself in a better way. I know that when we speak about an animal, in general, we use the verb "It" : it is a dog for ex. but I read some were that "sheep" is an exception and has to be referred to as a "she" . But I can't find any confirmation to that ... Commented Nov 2, 2016 at 8:26
  • You usually use he or it for a sheep.
    – Khan
    Commented Nov 2, 2016 at 10:02

1 Answer 1

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It and she are pronouns. As far as I know, the exception you have provided is inaccurate.

You may use either it or she with sheep, assuming the sheep is female.

Uses of the impersonal pronoun it
It can also be used for small and domestic animals.

  • I love my dog. It is almost human.
  • I will not sell my cow because it yields 10 litres of milk every day.

So it is possible to say "It is a sheep."

You may refer to a sheep as she, especially if you have a close relationship with it. It is not uncommon for people who love their pets to refer to the pets as he or she. For example, suppose you have a pet sheep named Dolly. You happen to mention Dolly and a friend asks "Who is Dolly?" You might reply

She is my pet sheep.

It is possible to call male sheep rams and female sheep ewes. But all sheep, regardless of gender, can be called sheep.

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