The use of singular “they” has become increasingly accepted both in mainstream academia and the general public. Academic writing style guides such as the APA and CMoS have accepted it. However, this was not always the case.
The use of singular “they” was generally discouraged in academia. However, with our broader understanding of gender and identity, among other factors, the singular “they” pronoun has risen in prominence.
In this article, I discuss what the singular “they” means as a pronoun, it’s history, and how to go about using it. Read on to learn more.
What is the singular they?
The singular “they” is a third-person singular pronoun in English that can be used when the gender of the antecedent is unknown, hidden, or nonbinary. Here are examples of this pronoun being used.
Form | Example |
They | Jimmy is a non-binary person. They are from California and enjoy guacamole. |
Them | Every participant in the study had a parcel of oolong tea given to them. |
Their | After the movie was over, each person left with their partner. |
Theirs | That uneaten slice of pizza is theirs. |
Themselves | Cathy and Mark are introverts and usually keep to themselves. |
Alternatives to the singular “they”
There are cases when using the singular “they” is either impractical or awkward. In such cases, there are two main strategies that can be adopted:
Rewording the sentence
Using plural forms
1. Rewording the sentence. In certain cases, it is best to remove pronouns and simply use the noun instead to avoid confusion. For example, take the following sentence:
Awkward phrasing: The postman delivered a package to her/him.
Corrected phrasing: The postman delivered a package to Chris.
2. Using the plural. Using plural forms also allows you to avoid confusion and awkwardness. Take this as an example:
Awkward phrasing: If a person is introverted, he or she is usually private.
Correct phrasing: Introverted individuals are usually private.
The history of using singular “they”
Singular “they” has a longer history than most people give it credit for. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is way older than the current era:
[It can be traced] . . . back to 1375, where it appears in the medieval romance William and the Werewolf. . . . Its use of singular they to refer to an unnamed person seems very modern: 'Each man hurried . . . till "they" drew near . . . where William and his darling were lying together.’
They claim that it was only in the eighteenth century that grammarians began teaching that singular they was an error based on the idea that a plural pronoun can’t take a singular antecedent.
The use of singular “they” emphasizes that we should always use a person’s self-identified pronoun, including when that person prefers using the singular “they.” If you don’t know the pronouns of the person being referred to, the sentence should be reworded or simply use “they” instead.
How EminentEdit can help with editing for sensitivity
At EminentEdit, the use of “singular they” is closely associated with inclusivity and sensitivity. When writing content, you should always bear in mind the values and sensitivities of your target audience.
Our editing and proofreading services provide proofreading and editing services that ensure inclusivity, sensitivity, and respect for your audience. We make sure that even before any work gets done we both are on the same page as to the type of content you want out there.
Take a look at our editing SOP below.
Our content editing services include:
Editing to appeal to a broad as possible audience
Editing to remove offensive language
Substantive editing to improve the quality of your writing on a sentence level
Extensive commentary and recommendations to improve content in terms of sensitivity
Proofreading to make sure your writing is grammatically correct with proper spelling and punctuation
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Cite this EminentEdit article |
Antoine, M. (2024, November 11). Using the Singular “They”. https://www.eminentediting.com/post/using-singular-they |
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