He/She/They‏

Would you believe taking answers with a grain of salt will enable you to learn better?





Now we can often see the use of 'they' to represent a singular noun or pronoun though such usage is still a controversial issue) as can be seen in a newspaper article.

I wrote an e-mail to the editor who has published my queries together with the answers as follows:-

Quote

The Star Online Mind Our English
He, she and they
OPEN CHANNEL: From Kengt Jul 30:

I REFER to the article Father figures (Mind Our English, June 19).

We often see the use of “they” to represent a singular noun or pronoun (though such usage is still a controversial issue) as shown in the following sentence: “With DNA tests, this image is obviously outdated: anyone can prove who their parents are – and even more distant relatives.”

Also, we see the use of “they” after “he or she” in another sentence in the article: “The poet therefore says he can look at a kid and predict exactly what he or she will be like when they grow up.”

There are writers who avoid such construction. What is your stand? – Kengt

Ellen Whye: Modern usage tends towards “they”, “their”, etc, instead of “he and she” “his and her”, etc. Possibly because it’s shorter and less gender specific.

Fadzilah Amin: The use of they/them/their “to refer to a singular indefinite person ... has existed for centuries and is perfectly correct...” according to Michael Swan (Practical English Usage, 2005, p.521). I looked up the word “they” in the current OED (2nd edition, 1989), and definition 2 says: “Often used in reference to a singular noun made universal by every, any, no, etc., or applicable to one of either sex (= ‘he or she’).”

What is more interesting is that the first recorded use of “they” in that way dates back to 1526. Here are some interesting quotations from famous works cited by the dictionary:

“Every Body fell a laughing, as how could they help it.” (Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, 1749)

“If a person is born of a ... gloomy temper ... they cannot help it.” (Chesterfield, Letters IV. ccclv. 170, 1759). This is from one of the famous letters Lord Chesterfield wrote to his son.

This usage is in keeping with Ellen’s sentence in her article: “With DNA tests, this image is obviously outdated: anyone can prove who their parents are – and even more distant relatives.”

I agree with Ellen Whyte that “they” is shorter (than “he or she”). It would be tedious to say or write “he or she” every time you are not sure what the gender of a person is. And to write “he” to include “she” all the time is unfair to women. Since “they” has been used for centuries to mean “he or she”, what’s wrong with using it now?

However I do see a point in Kengt’s questioning of the following sentence of Ellen’s: “The poet therefore says he can look at a kid and predict exactly what he or she will be like when they grow up.”

With due respect to Ellen, perhaps she should have been consistent and stick to “they” instead of writing “he or she” in the above sentence, so that the sentence would read:

“The poet therefore says he can look at a kid and predict exactly what they will be like when they grow up.”

Unquote

Below is another sentence written by the critic in the same column:-

"Encore!" is what an audience calls out to a singer or musician in appreciation of his performance and as a request for him to sing another song or play another piece of music. If he obliges, the extra song or piece of music is also called an "encore".

Since a singer or musician can be a woman, this sentence does not appear to be in line with what was advocated in the reply to me.

Much have I learned from my teachers, more from my colleagues, but most from my students.
-- Talmud