College Composition / Unit 5 CMP 0107 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Singular They
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The idea
The pronouns they, them and their can refer to one person whose gender is unknown or unimportant, or who uses them.
In practice
"Pat likes pizza. They like pineapple on it." Many style guides and publications now accept this use.
Where people slip
If they already refers to a group nearby, rewrite to avoid confusion: make the antecedent plural or remove the pronoun.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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