Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxa.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!ihuxa!andyr From: andyr@ihuxa.UUCP (Ronald R. Anderson) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: Re: "Their" as a substitute for his/her Message-ID: <717@ihuxa.UUCP> Date: Fri, 11-Jan-85 11:33:41 EST Article-I.D.: ihuxa.717 Posted: Fri Jan 11 11:33:41 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 12-Jan-85 05:53:02 EST References: <1315@dciem.UUCP> <643@bunker.UUCP> <1914@sun.uucp> <401@hou2e.UUCP> <1108@teddy.UUCP> <896@amdahl.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 25 > From: gam@amdahl.UUCP (gam) > Aha! I _knew_ someone would bite! ... > "Everyone should sit down when they arrive." > Still sound "funny" to you? ... Yes. When who arrives? Their Majesty the Monarch of England? While the point that "they" is a genderless substitute for "she" or "he" is well taken, it appears (to me at least) to open the door to greater ambiguity. It is not apparent to me, based upon the limited context of the statement, to whom "they" refers. "Our guest speakers will arrive shortly. Everyone should sit down when they arrive." - and - "Standing in this room is forbidden. Everyone should sit down when they arrive." imply to me a plural and a singular (respectively) reference by "they". While "they" may be a valid singular-genderless pronoun, it retains the ability to be a plural pronoun. Clarity is important to understanding. -- -- Ronald R. Anderson AT&T Bell Laboratories Naperville, Illinois [...ihnp4!]ihuxa!andyr