Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site ssc-vax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!marla From: marla@ssc-vax.UUCP (Peckham) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: 'they' as third person singular indefinate sex pronoun Message-ID: <329@ssc-vax.UUCP> Date: Fri, 11-Jan-85 15:13:20 EST Article-I.D.: ssc-vax.329 Posted: Fri Jan 11 15:13:20 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 14-Jan-85 01:21:00 EST References: <488@mhuxt.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, WA Lines: 22 Jeff Sonntag asks about the use of the pronoun they: > "is anonymous; if they finds out where I live, will > they come bomb my house?" > > Now it may be that I've used this word inappropriately somehow, (though > it seems to be right to me) but if not, then I guess I'll have to agree with > the people who said that it looks and sounds very clumsy. I feel the pronoun "they" should be used in the same manner as the pronoun "you". Noone makes the distinction between the singular you and the plural (except in the South, with y'all). Jeff, you wouldn't say "if you FINDS out...", you say "if you FIND out..". If you use the pronoun they as both singular and plural, in the same way we currently use the pronoun you, people will get used to it, and will not have any problem dealing with it. All it will take is some time for the "differentness" of useing they to wear off. Marla Baer-Peckham sac-vax!marla [Place a standard disclaimer here]