It’s very much a “work-around,”
but I’ve been known to use “he” in one sentence, and “she”
in the next – thus removing the sexist implications of gendered pronoun
trouble altogether. This way we’re not using “their” as a
singular, and we’re still respecting the “inherent sexism of the
English language” argument. Not a perfect solution, but the one I can
best live with, right now…
-patty
From:
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009
5:48 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Any member can give
their opinion
I find it acceptable
in conversation (sometimes), but not in formal writing. My students (high
school) have a very hard time with my "conservative" attitude
about it. I don't find it easy to read "their," et al, as singular
pronouns.
Paul D.
"If this were
play'd upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction"
(_Twelfth Night_ 3.4.127-128).
From: DD Farms
<[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, April 8, 2009
10:33:14 PM
Subject: Any member can give their
opinion
At 06:15 PM 4/8/2009, O'Sullivan, Brian P wrote:
> I was wondering whether list members find that it is now acceptable (or at
least accepted in some circles) to use "they" or "their" as
an alternative to constructions like "he or she" or "his or
her"--that is, as a gender-neutral third-person pronoun (as in my subject
line).
DD: HORROR! I demur. Keep those agreeable agreements amongst the components of
the utterance.
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