Difference between revisions of "Number words - with pronouns"
DavidWalker (Talk | contribs) m |
PeterWilson (Talk | contribs) |
||
| (3 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | Be careful about whether you use singular or plural '''[[pronoun]]s''' with the [[third person]. You may hear a message on the phone "The caller withheld '''their''' number." How many callers were there? Logically - academically - it is clearly better to use a singular pronoun such as "his". But then we are making a [[sexist]] assumption: to avoid sexist language, we could say "his or her". (There is a case for | + | Be careful about whether you use singular or plural '''[[pronoun]]s''' with the [[third person]]. You may hear a message on the phone "The caller withheld '''their''' number." How many callers were there? Logically - academically - it is clearly better to use a singular pronoun such as "his". But then we are making a [[sexist]] assumption: to avoid sexist language, we could say "his or her". (There is a case for preferring "her or his", because this way round the pronouns are in alphabetical order and we counter the [[sexist]] assumption that [[masculine]] precedes [[feminine]].) |
Whichever way round you say the two pronouns 'his' and 'her', it <u>feels</u> clumsy, so in natural spoken English, the word "they" may be used instead - following a singular noun.. | Whichever way round you say the two pronouns 'his' and 'her', it <u>feels</u> clumsy, so in natural spoken English, the word "they" may be used instead - following a singular noun.. | ||
| Line 6: | Line 6: | ||
Our advice is to use plural nouns wherever possible in academic English. Then you can use '''they''' naturally and easily, and certainly more fluently. "Students who exceed their word-count limit ... " is more natural than "A student who exceeds her or his word-count limit ... ". | Our advice is to use plural nouns wherever possible in academic English. Then you can use '''they''' naturally and easily, and certainly more fluently. "Students who exceed their word-count limit ... " is more natural than "A student who exceeds her or his word-count limit ... ". | ||
| + | |||
| + | The above was originally drafted before 2006. In the 21st century, the following applies: | ||
| + | |||
| + | In a time when gender identity is becoming increasingly fluid and individuals are more able - and likely - to self-identiify in an increasing number of categories, including particularly trans, bi- and queer, it has become entirely acceptable to choose the [[pronoun]] by which the individual would like to be referred as the neutral '''they - them'''. This is clearly singular in meaning, although traditionally plural in form. | ||
[[Category:Sexist language]] | [[Category:Sexist language]] | ||
[[Category:Academic English]] | [[Category:Academic English]] | ||
| + | [[Category:pronouns]] | ||
Latest revision as of 19:11, 6 August 2021
Be careful about whether you use singular or plural pronouns with the third person. You may hear a message on the phone "The caller withheld their number." How many callers were there? Logically - academically - it is clearly better to use a singular pronoun such as "his". But then we are making a sexist assumption: to avoid sexist language, we could say "his or her". (There is a case for preferring "her or his", because this way round the pronouns are in alphabetical order and we counter the sexist assumption that masculine precedes feminine.)
Whichever way round you say the two pronouns 'his' and 'her', it feels clumsy, so in natural spoken English, the word "they" may be used instead - following a singular noun..
But this is wrong, in formal English.
Our advice is to use plural nouns wherever possible in academic English. Then you can use they naturally and easily, and certainly more fluently. "Students who exceed their word-count limit ... " is more natural than "A student who exceeds her or his word-count limit ... ".
The above was originally drafted before 2006. In the 21st century, the following applies:
In a time when gender identity is becoming increasingly fluid and individuals are more able - and likely - to self-identiify in an increasing number of categories, including particularly trans, bi- and queer, it has become entirely acceptable to choose the pronoun by which the individual would like to be referred as the neutral they - them. This is clearly singular in meaning, although traditionally plural in form.
