S3, When a writer wants to address both or all genders, it is recommended to use a generic term such as the spectator or meditator. If the writer wants to be more specific, then the gender specific pronouns. like he and she, can be used. But the accepted authority in the USA for the American English usage is contained in "Elements of Style" by Strunk and White. Also, for specific organizations, there are several style manuals that are used.
http://www.calstatela.edu/library/styleman.htm http://www.calstatela.edu/library/styleman.htm ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <s3raphita@...> wrote: Re "I don't believe "they" as a single pronoun would pass muster in a formal report to Congress.": Yes, I was wondering if legal documents have strict rules on this to avoid dangerous ambiguity. Don't many US colleges encourage students to use "she" as the singular (instead of "he") or is that just a myth put about by right-wingers? Is there a house style at universities where they insist students stick to one preferred solution? Another alternative is to use "she" and "he" more-or-less alternately in an article. In some contexts that can work fine - it even adds variety to a piece - but in many cases it just makes me pause and wonder if indeed a woman or a man is actually being discussed rather than a generic human. ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, <jr_esq@...> wrote: Judy, I don't believe "they" as a single pronoun would pass muster in a formal report to Congress. ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, <authfriend@...> wrote: John, as Seraphita points out, "they" as a singular pronoun has been in popular use for a long time, including by some top-notch writers. It was declared a solecism in the 18th century by overly persnickety grammarians, but that didn't succeed in stamping it out; and it's currently undergoing a revival. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <jr_esq@...> wrote: I would agree that the use of the person's given name sounds better and would be grammatically correct. It would take a long time for "they" to be accepted as a singular pronoun. As it is, American English is probably evolving quite differently from British English. For example, foreign words have become acceptable over here, such as tacos, chow mein, sushi, shish-kabob, and tandoori chicken. Or, sometimes existential verbs are inferred in a sentence, such as "He the man", which could refer to the past, present and future. The use of this sentence could also show that you're "hep" to the street language in big cities. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <s3raphita@...> wrote: It's not a *personal* gender pronoun but "they" has distinguished precedent as a singular pronoun. It grates a little bit but if even Shakespeare and Jane Austen used it I can feel relaxed about following suit. And "they" is definitely preferable to "he or she" and "him and her" both of which kill natural rhythm in English. And that ghastly 1970s attempt to foist "s/he" on us has mercifully fallen by the wayside. Rather than a *personal* gender pronoun why not just use someone's name? As a bonus here's how to end a sentence with five prepositions: Mother, what did you bring that book that I don't like to be read to out of up for?
