Eagle Dancer Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
Proper/improper use of "them"
0 I have pasted part of a job posting for an administrative assistant position below. Can someone please help me with the answer. 02 br
00 Thank you 02 br
00 Eagle 02 br
02 br
00 "I want to find somebody who, if I ask them to find out about a prospective client, comes back with more information faster than I can. If I ask them to track down a missing ad insertion, comes back with the info AND a solution to the problem. If I ask them to put together a simple media plan, can do it (or wants to learn to do it). If I ask them to organize our files, just gets it done. And finds out what they need to know before they do it wrong. 02 br
02 br
00 I’d even like to find somebody who knows what’s technically wrong with using “them” in that last paragraph. And who understands why I did it anyway." 0-
00 Thank you 02 br
00 Eagle 02 br
02 br
00 "I want to find somebody who, if I ask them to find out about a prospective client, comes back with more information faster than I can. If I ask them to track down a missing ad insertion, comes back with the info AND a solution to the problem. If I ask them to put together a simple media plan, can do it (or wants to learn to do it). If I ask them to organize our files, just gets it done. And finds out what they need to know before they do it wrong. 02 br
02 br
00 I’d even like to find somebody who knows what’s technically wrong with using “them” in that last paragraph. And who understands why I did it anyway." 0-
Top answer
0 There's nothing "technically wrong" with the usage of "them". 02 br 00 Compare: 01 i 00 If I ask he|she to find out about a prospective client... If I ask he|she to track down a missing ad insertion...
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0 There's nothing "technically wrong" with the usage of "them". It is being used to avoid sexism (= the prospective employee could be either a man or a woman), instead of "he|she", which would have been really awkward. 02 br
00 Compare: 01 i 00 If I ask he|she to find out about a prospective client... If I ask he|she to track down a missing ad insertion... If I ask he|she to pu
00 Compare: 01 i 00 If I ask he|she to find out about a prospective client... If I ask he|she to track down a missing ad insertion... If I ask he|she to pu
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