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Homerfarmsby Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Pronoun-antecedent agreement

Would you use 'his' as the gender neutral default instead of 'his or her'? Do you prefer #1 or #2 below?
1 -- Has anybody lost his ticket?
2 -- Has anybody lost his or her ticket?

* Are these correct with pronoun-antecedent agreement?
* Thanks to everybody for his or her support.
* Thanks to all for their support.
* Every employee should bring his or her laptop to the meeting.
* All employees should bring their laptops to the meeting.

****anybody, anyone, everybody, everyone, no one, someone -- Each of these pronouns is singular and requires "he" or "she" (never "they") on further reference.
Is this correct?

* somebody = some body = one person
* someone = some one = one person
* anybody = any body = one person
* anyone = any one = one person
* everybody = every body = one person
* everyone = every one = one person

Do you agree with everything?

Thanks.
  

Top answer

Hi homerfarmsby; We have had many discussions on this topic. Many of us use their as a singular gender-neutral antecedent instead of the awkward his/her, his or her ... etc.

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1 Answers
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Hi homerfarmsby;

We have had many discussions on this topic. Many of us use their as a singular gender-neutral antecedent instead of the awkward his/her, his or her... etc.

See this usage note in Dictionary.com:
Long before the use of generic he was condemned as sexist, the
pronouns they, their, and them were used in educated