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"Singular they" refers to the use in English of the third person plural pronoun they to refer to a singular person of indeterminate gender. Many attack this usage as an abberation introduced for reasons of politicial correctness, however singular they has a long history, going back centuries. Several famous authors have used it in their writing, including Jane Austen. |
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"Singular they" refers to the use in the English language of the third person plural pronoun they to refer to a singular person of indeterminate gender. Many attack this usage as an aberration introduced for reasons of political correctness, however singular they has a centuries-long history of usage. Several famous authors have used it in their writing, including Jane Austen. |
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Note that while singular they is semantically singular, it is syntactically plural; thus the singular they takes plural verb forms. While this may seem odd, it is no different from the use of you, which always takes a plural verb form, whether one is addressing one or several persons. |
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Note that while singular they is semantically singular, it is syntactically plural; thus the singular they takes plural verb forms. While this may seem odd, it is no different from the use of you, which always takes a plural verb form, whether one is addressing one or several persons. |
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The singular they can only be used to refer to an indeterminate person; it cannot generally be used to refer to a person identified as a particular unique individual, even if that person's gender is unknown. |
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The singular they can only be used to refer to an indeterminate person; it cannot generally be used to refer to a person identified as a particular unique individual, even if that person's gender is unknown. /Talk? |
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