What
is the right pronoun to use for someone whose gender is not known:
can I use he?
Debo
Omikunle from Nigeria writes:
Please
could you tell me the correct form of pronoun (singular or plural)
to use with the word every and all its variants and compound
forms (everybody, anybody, everyone) and also the verb forms
too. I have seen examples like this:
Everyone
should get their coats…
Everybody thinks their calls…
Everyone has their own styles…
Roger
Woodham replies:
He
- she - (s)he - or they?
In the past, Sicello, we used to use he when the sex of
the person was unknown:
A doctor should always be accompanied by a nurse when
he is examining a patient.
If I find the person who has wrought such havoc in
my garden, I'll wring his neck!
However, such usage is now sometimes considered sexist, so alternative
forms are used. One possibility is to use he or she or
(s)he, but this looks and sounds clumsy:
If the patient decides to cancel the appointment,
he or she must let the receptionist know ASAP.
If the patient decides to cancel the appointment,
(s)he must let the receptionist know ASAP.
These forms are sometimes retained in formal written English, but
the preferred solution generally, and especially in informal discourse,
is to use they, even if the reference is singular:
If the patient decides to cancel the appointment,
they must let the receptionist know as soon as possible.
If anybody calls, make a note of their details
and ask them to take a seat.
Everybody should take their belongings with
them. Don't leave them on the bus.
They / them / their with singular reference
These structures are common, Debo, after all indefinite pronouns
such as anybody/one, somebody/one, nobody/one, everyone, anyone,
every, each and no and after person. Consider
the following:
No child may leave the hall until they have
finished their work.
If anyone finds my cat in their garden, I'd
be grateful if they could give me a ring and I'll come
and collect her.
Somebody has left their coat on the bus. Could
they please come and collect it?
Nobody plans to stay in London overnight, do they?
Everybody but me thinks they will pass the
test, but I am not so confident.
Every person going on this trip must have their
own tent. Sharing tents is not allowed.
This structure is useful not only when the sex of the person is
unknown, but also when the sexes are mixed. Of course, if the company
is single sex, it may not be necessary. If the people on the bus
in the above example are all male, then we could just as easily
say:
Somebody has left his coat on the bus. Could
he please come and collect it?
However, even when the sex is known, we often use they/them/their,
especially in generalised statements.
No girl over the age of 16 should be made to wear
a school uniform. It makes them feel childish.
If
you would like more practice more please visit our in the You, Meand Us part of our
website.
