Final answer:
Masculine or plural nouns after 'the' may take singular or plural verbs depending on the context, and English has evolved to use gender-neutral pronouns for inclusivity. The modification of nouns to create gender-specific forms sometimes involves changes to the root word.
Step-by-step explanation:
When it comes to nouns after 'the' with masculine or plural forms, the corresponding verb agreement can be singular or plural depending on the context. For example, certain nouns that end in -s, such as 'statistics' or 'economics,' may appear plural but are often treated as singular when they refer to a field of study or general concept. Conversely, when they reference a specific situation or set of data, they may take a plural verb.
In terms of gender neutrality in English, it is becoming more common to use gender-neutral pronouns such as 'they/them/their' instead of 'he/him/his' to avoid gender assumptions and to be inclusive of people who identify as neither man nor woman. Historically, masculine pronouns were used as a default, but there is a significant shift towards gender inclusivity.
Regarding gender neutrality in the modification of nouns and their corresponding forms, sometimes the root form of a word changes when a gender-specific suffix like '-ess' is added. For example, 'waiter' becomes 'waitress' by dropping the 'e' before adding the '-ess.'