Tag: singular “they”

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James Harbeck

But what about plural “they”?

September 21, 2021 by James Harbeck | 1 Comment on But what about plural “they”?

Singular “they” is here to stay, and that’s a good thing. There is no decent reason to require that third-person singular pronouns — and only third-person singular pronouns — always specify gender. “He” has never truly covered men and women equally, though starting in the 1800s some people tried to insist that it did, and […]

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Barbara McClintock

Sex, Gender and Pronouns: Using the Correct Pronouns for Inclusiveness

November 17, 2020 by Barbara McClintock | 6 Comments on Sex, Gender and Pronouns: Using the Correct Pronouns for Inclusiveness

In the U.S. presidential election this month, the first openly transgender woman, Sarah McBride, won a seat in the Delaware State Senate. It’s a milestone for diversity and one that has an impact on our work as writers and editors. Striving to ensure the equality of men and women in professional writing is not new […]

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Barbara McClintock

The Singular “They” — Conjugations and Some Particularities

February 18, 2020 by Barbara McClintock | 5 Comments on The Singular “They” — Conjugations and Some Particularities

Conjugating the singular “they” Gender-neutral writing is fairly new. The Canadian government started using the terms “gender” or “gender identity” when referring to a person’s sex (unless referring to anatomical characteristics related to reproduction or development) in Canadian legislation in 2017. Most writers in Canada already avoid using “he” and “his” because readers understand these […]

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Marianne Grier

Pink, Blue and the Singular “They”

October 16, 2018 by Marianne Grier | 14 Comments on Pink, Blue and the Singular “They”

I was a late adopter of the singular “they,” once thinking its usage was down to laziness or ignorance. I’ve recently changed my tune. The singular “they” helps streamline sentences, is considerate of those who don’t identify with a gender, and can help avoid the gender-charged language that can be our default. This last strength […]

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