'It'?

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Pucca

#394951 Sun, 22 Jul 07 12:54 AM

Hey everyone! Smile [:)]

I have been thinking about this for ages, but, couldn't come up with an answer, so, I decided to ask it.

Great! I don't even know how to start or how to ask the question!

If we are talking about something and we suddenly introduce the word 'people', we can adress them (?) by saying 'they', right?
Then, what about the word 'person'? How can we adress that person without knowing the gender? 'he/she'? 'it'? Could 'it' act as neutral here? or, it would be offensive?

- There is a person who thinks (he/she) is right. Yep, if we use 'it' here, it would mean that the person things 'it' is right, it would be a direct object, right? I don't know how to call it.. Tongue Tied [:S]

Thanks in advance!

Pucca

Joined on Sun, Aug 27 2006

Senior Member (2,852)

¿Alguna vez has tenido un sueño tan real que al despertarte no sabías qué creer?

Direct objects, Genders

Clive

#394963 Sun, 22 Jul 07 01:35 AM

Hi,

what about the word 'person'? How can we adress that person without knowing the gender? 'he/she'? 'it'? Could 'it' act as neutral here? or, it would be offensive?

Don't refer to a person as 'it'. You can constantly say 'he or she', although this becomes cumbersome, and annoying to the reader eventually. The traditional approach is just to say 'he'. Many people today would say 'he or she' in the first reference, and thereafter just say 'he'. No-one will be angry with you if you do this. Smile [:)]

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004

Canada

Veteran Member (20,464)

El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

Genders

Pucca

#394969 Sun, 22 Jul 07 01:42 AM

Thank you very much, Clive! Smile [:)]

From now on, there will be no need to avoid the word 'person' then!

Pucca

Kooyeen

#395291 Sun, 22 Jul 07 07:50 PM

Heeeeeeeh, too simple, that would be too simple... Wink [;)]

I think "he" is ok in theory, but I would never use it. I'd always use "they". Every time I read or hear "he/him/his", I think of a male... and the same is true of "she" (I think of a female). If I read of hear "he or she", it sounds pedantic and awful to me, it points out that there exist two kinds of people (males and females) when it is not required.

Kooyeen

Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005

Italy

Senior Member (3,833)

If you don't have a sense of humor already, it's about time you buy one.

Pucca

#395299 Sun, 22 Jul 07 08:23 PM

Then, how would you continue this sentence? Thinking [*-)]

Each person has ... own personality.

Pucca

Kooyeen

#395325 Sun, 22 Jul 07 09:48 PM

I say "Each person has their own personality."
I don't know where you want to write that (the context), but I'd probably say "Everyone has their own... personality, problems, interests, etc."
Smile [:)]

Kooyeen

Pucca

#395327 Sun, 22 Jul 07 09:51 PM

Can you say so? I mean, 'each person' is supposed to be in singular while 'their' is plural! Sad [:(]

Pucca

Plurals

Grammar Geek

#395333 Sun, 22 Jul 07 09:59 PM

The singular "they" and "their" is becoming more and more common.

"Each person has his or her own personality" is more often being written as "Each person has their own personality."

Two years ago, I was strongly opposed to the singular their - but I've changed my thinking.

Grammar Geek

Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006

Pennsylvania, USA

Veteran Member (15,288)

Barbara, who answers in American English.

Kooyeen

#395335 Sun, 22 Jul 07 09:59 PM

I know! That's what's cool about it... it's plural! LMAO

There are a lot of threads about this (--> singular "they"), and a lot of stuff on the internet too. It's a popular "topic"...
Some people say it is not ok, and quite a few say it is not ok in formal contexts. However, I know it is used in formal contexts too (I can't remember exactly where, but I think you can find it in Microsoft's contracts or something). Smile [:)]

PS:

GG wrote:
Two years ago, I was strongly opposed to the singular their - but I've changed my thinking.

...Ha Haa! (Nelson's laughter, from The Simpsons) Wink [;)]

Kooyeen

Plurals

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