That's What S/he Said!

Along with the adaptation of vocabulary and the growth of the English language, comes the question as to whether or not strict grammar rules also can be adjusted with new trends. In a country where speakers must be politically correct at all times, including gender and racial bias, it is important to be aware of how one uses pronouns, both in conversation and in text.

In my opinion, the most common grammatical error made is the use of the pronoun ”they” or “their” as a singular pronoun, rather than a plural pronoun. While I’ll admit, I too frequently use “they” as a singular pronoun in conversation, I am often tempted to write “they” as a singular pronoun in papers and other written text as well.

Picture yourself at a rock concert with thousands of people on their feet cheering and singing along. The drums fade out and the lead singer throws his hands into the air, screaming into the microphone, “everybody clap his or her hands.” What is the chance of that happening? While I don’t have the statistical data on that phrase being said at a rock concert, I would have to bet on the fact that it has probably never been used. You may ask, “but why? After all, it is correct grammar.” Yes, while “his or her hands” is grammatically correct, in certain contexts, “he or she” can be inappropriate.

While others have acknowledged that using a singular pronoun is the correct pronoun to use and therefore should only be used, many problems arise when using it in speech and in text.

Solutions throughout the years:
1. Use only “she” or “he” as a pronoun for gender-neutral terms and be consistent with which pronoun you use. However, in modern times that becomes very problematic because of sexist and gender-biased writing.
2. Alternate using “he” or “she,” but in my opinion (along with many others), alternating pronouns becomes confusing to both the reader and the writer.
3. Use a genderless alternative such as “hiser,” “ze,” or “hir,” an idea introduced in the 1800s.
4. Make a symbol out of “he or she,” such as “s/he.” In my opinion, this appears to be more informal than using “they” or choosing “he” or “she.”

Solutions according to public figures:
1. Hilary Clinton constantly used “she“ as a singular pronoun, forcing listeners to open up to the idea of “she” as a main pronoun in speeches rather than “he.”
2. Shakespeare has been noted to use “he” as a generic singular pronoun; however in Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses “they” as a generic singular pronoun.
3. Mark Twain and Jane Austin both also used “they” as a generic singular pronoun.
4. Rogers attempted to invent his own pronouns: e, es, and em. Unfortunately, all records of invented pronouns have not been easily adapted into the English language.
5. President Obama has even used “their” as a singular generic pronoun at times and has not been picked apart by the media in the same ways that George W. Bush had been scrutinized for grammatical errors. In speeches, Obama has no problem with using “their” as a singular pronoun, copying the speaking language of a vast majority of Americans.
6. Facebook.com has recently decided that “they” is not a singular pronoun and has forced its users to pick a gender so that the website is not forced to say “he or she.” One argument that facebook.com brought up was that “themself” is not a real word and therefore, they should not be used as a singular pronoun.
7. College students tend to use “he or she” in papers and stay away from using “they.” In my personal experience I tend to stay away from sentences that require a generic singular pronoun and solve the problem by rearranging the sentence.

As a writer and student of English, I find that “he or she,” “they,” and just using “he” or “she,” all have their place within the English lexicon. Academically, there is no reason as to why “her or she” shouldn’t be used. In my opinion, it is the most formal answer and makes perfectly clear what the writer is trying to express. In speech (the formality of the speech can be up for debate) I do not see a problem with using “they” or “their” as a singular pronoun. It is most commonly done and is not even registered as an error to most when in the middle of dialogue.

In official documents (such as the Constitution) I think it is clear that even though “he” is used the meaning is generic. Although this would be less common in my personal writing, I do believe that there is a certain time and place where using only “he” or “she” is acceptable; however, I disagree with the interchanging of the two throughout one piece of writing.

Overall, the question of generic personal pronouns will never be completely solved, but I do think it is important to learn when the use of informal generic pronoun use is acceptable. With the changing of times, comes the changing of language, and even generic pronouns need to learn to adapt to the new speech of society.
~Marissa Messiano

Works Used
Vosgerchian, Jessica. "Everybody does it, don't they?" Www.michigandaily.com
6 Jan. 2009. University of Michigan. 17 Apr. 2009 .