Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ptsfa.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!ptsfa!rob From: rob@ptsfa.UUCP (Rob Bernardo) Newsgroups: net.nlang,net.women Subject: Re: Gender-Specific Pronouns Message-ID: <435@ptsfa.UUCP> Date: Fri, 18-Jan-85 20:53:12 EST Article-I.D.: ptsfa.435 Posted: Fri Jan 18 20:53:12 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 21-Jan-85 07:47:56 EST References: <353@cadovax.UUCP> <775@druxo.UUCP> <19509@lanl.ARPA> Organization: Pacific Bell, San Francisco Lines: 27 Xref: watmath net.nlang:2448 net.women:4160 > "That is the only person to ever set foot on Mars. They loved it!" The discussion of gender-free third person singular pronouns is missing an important distinction between two contexts. In one context, the writer/speaker has a specific person in mind and knows the gender of that person. In this case, the use of 'they' sounds awkward: John was the only person to ever set foot on Mars. They loved it! SOME people who are arguing against the use of 'they' are using examples like this to show how awkward this sounds. This is an unfair example since I have not seen anyone on the net argue for this sort of use of 'they'. In the other context, reference is being made to a hypothetical person, or any one of several people, whose gender is therefore unknown. In this case, the use of 'they'/'their'/etc. sounds quite acceptable to me, especially when the antecedent is made plural. Everyone needs to post their hours on time sheets starting Jan 1. -- Rob Bernardo, Pacific Bell, San Francisco, California {ihnp4,ucbvax,cbosgd,decwrl,amd70,fortune,zehntel}!dual!ptsfa!rob