tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post5160717419700342574..comments2024-02-19T07:51:46.118-05:00Comments on Throw Grammar from the Train: Left hand, meet right handJanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03173219179480606941noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-24595702405238211942011-06-06T22:45:15.493-04:002011-06-06T22:45:15.493-04:00I wrote a column about this a while back.
http://w...I wrote a column about this a while back.<br />http://www.umich.edu/~jlawler/June05Eye.pdfJohn Lawlerhttp://www.umich.edu/~jlawlernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-10020215859356487992011-06-01T05:40:32.142-04:002011-06-01T05:40:32.142-04:00So which pronoun do you use in "If everyone i...So which pronoun do you use in "If everyone is present, let ___ take __ seat"? Him and his, I presume.<br /><br />How about "When everyone heard the fire alarm, ___ ran out of the building"?The Ridger, FCDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01538111197270563075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-81128761606096038602011-05-20T21:08:31.141-04:002011-05-20T21:08:31.141-04:00Singular 'they' may have a rich heritage, ...Singular 'they' may have a rich heritage, but it sounds wrong to my ears; looks wrong to my eyes. So, I don't use it. Others may and I won't get upset, but it may trigger a red flag that keys higher altertness to subsequent transgressions from the norm.<br /><br />I'm generally happy, too, writing 'he' when a generic is needed. If I must, I'll go to the ugly but utilitarian 's/he'.John Burgesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11979918255430186425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-86307897327839665102011-05-18T15:49:25.472-04:002011-05-18T15:49:25.472-04:00I not only happily use singular they, which I cons...I not only happily use singular <i>they</i>, which I consider much more elegant than any of the alternative solutions, but happily teach it as well. In TEFL it's considered totally standard.<br /><br />And @Bryan, it goes back a lot further than PC or being non-sexist, and is the natural accompaniment to <i>anyone, someone</i> etc - <i>If anyone wants more cake, can they just help themselves.</i>Warsaw Willhttp://random-idea-english.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-26388111695648343872011-05-18T08:10:11.646-04:002011-05-18T08:10:11.646-04:00Singular "they" has a long (15th-century...Singular "they" has a long (15th-century!) and distinguished pedigree in English, used widely by Austen, Chesterfield, Shakespeare ("God send every one their heart's desire!"[Much Ado About Nothing, III.4] and elsewhere), Fielding, Durrell, Wilde, and further dozens of the brightest lights in the language.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-34226521115131457742011-05-18T04:52:51.731-04:002011-05-18T04:52:51.731-04:00David, I think that actually reinforces the issue....David, I think that actually reinforces the issue. People don't use themself (not that I've heard) because whilst reference might be being made to a singular person, <i>them</i> is not singular. In much the same way that myselves is obviously incorrect. However, you can hear the reflexive <i>themselves</i> being used as singular. I suppose our options are to use <i>he</i> and not <i>they</i> at the risk of being non-PC, <i>he/she</i> at the risk of being overly verbose or fussy. Personally I think I'll just remove any human element and simply use <i>it</i>...Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00542573715991884244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-91399012544974694292011-05-17T14:52:18.341-04:002011-05-17T14:52:18.341-04:00What baffles me is the shunning of the singular th...What baffles me is the shunning of the singular <i>themself</i>. No one has any problem with a singular <i>yourself</i>, why is there a problem with singular <i>themself</i>?David Craignoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-31193201896202647512011-05-17T12:45:40.868-04:002011-05-17T12:45:40.868-04:00That first quotation is an example of why I will n...That first quotation is an example of why I will never pony up for a subscription to the <i>Vocabula Review.</i> It's a shame, though, because the second article looks as if it might be interesting.Q. Pheevrhttp://q-pheevr.livejournal.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-5271839899810766312011-05-17T04:53:46.589-04:002011-05-17T04:53:46.589-04:00I frequently use singular they (and their and them...I frequently use singular <i>they</i> (and <i>their</i> and <i>them</i>), but I feel no guilt about it whatsoever. The usage has been well established for centuries, in formal and literary contexts as well as casual speech.Stanhttp://stancarey.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-54481078964113062222011-05-16T15:06:56.779-04:002011-05-16T15:06:56.779-04:00Oh, sweet irony.Oh, sweet irony.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04323568112711824064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811866763970314328.post-91995455158621227812011-05-16T14:08:54.420-04:002011-05-16T14:08:54.420-04:00I'm guilty of frequently using the singular &q...I'm guilty of frequently using the singular "they". Our P.C. culture has driven me to it. Using "he" as a generic pronoun when the gender is unspecified or unclear seems to wreak of chauvinism, and as far as "he or she" or the even worse hybrid "he/she"...no, I can't do it.Bryan Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01607046468663026271noreply@blogger.com