Usage - "they/their" as singular gender-neutral pronouns?

Question

In writing business documents, I often have to write about a generic customer of unknown gender, and so I have sentences like:
"If in doubt of x, the staff member should consult his/her manager. (S)he should continue once the task has been clarified."

If find the his/her/(s)he stuff very clumsy and distracting for the reader - I'm tempted to write something like this instead:
"If in doubt of x, the staff member should consult their manager. They should continue once the task has been clarified."

It's obviously grammatically incorrect, but seems to be the way one might say it informally.

How good/bad is it to use "they/their" as a singular in business writing?

Answer 1

I know exactly what you mean...this is one of my least favorite grammar rules because I HATE the he/she stuff, and I do use it incorrectly in my spoken language. To tell you the truth, unfortunately, MOST people probably wouldn't even notice. But since it's business, I would stick to the grammatically correct usage. You never know who you might need to impress.

Answer 2

Yes, it is an absolutely annoying rule, though correct for business writing. They/their should only be used when writing conversationally and even then, use caution. How about eliminating the pronoun and gender entirely and saying something like this: "The staff member should consult a (not their) manager. *or* The employee should continue once the task....." It is always more clear to use a proper subject rather than a pronoun in writing, however irritating and unlike normal speech.

Answer 3

The rule may be annoying but, in my opinion, to refer to a woman (man) as he (she) is even more annoying. No way out? I think there is:

Instead of agreeing with the ADDRESSEE, the pronoun should agree with the SENDER. Women would always use "she" and men, "he". Such a decision, of course, depends on a few people (grammarians from all English-speaking countries around the world). Grammatical rules take a long time to change (sometimes one century or more) but, since they have been made up, they can be bent a little.

Do you like the idea? Spread the word! In the meantime, we have to keep in mind that "rules rule" no matter how annoying they may be.

Answer 4

I disagree. besides the fact that, I do agree that the "he or she" shape is actual pretentious. it particularly is actual superb in English (and maximum western Indo-ecu languages) to apply "he" while gender is unspecified, even with the undeniable fact that this isn't carried out for concern of sounding "sexist." hence, "they" is often substituted because it particularly is a pronoun of independent gender. I many times cite using "they" as a 0.33 guy or woman singular pronoun as a significant occasion of ways the English language is evolving in the present day, based on the communicative desires of its audio gadget to sound "politically superb." even with the undeniable fact that it particularly is my concept that correctness is emphasised a tactics too lots by employing our subculture, as language is approximately being understood, no longer being grammatically superb, I even have self belief that there is a medium that demands the use of grammatically superb language, and the SAT constitutes an element of that medium. As an aside, i in my opinion abhor Shakespeare. at the same time as i won't deny that he grow to be a grasp of the English language, i think of his performs are completely unoriginal and absence even the semblance of profundity. this is to assert that they are infrequently the epitome of stable writing. i've got come to view Goethe as possibly the main suitable literary genius in historical past, and Goethe might in no way make a mistake like this. i might echo the sentiment that Shakespeare is by employing no means an expert on formal writing.

Answer 5

I agree with the fact that he/she is unwieldy, but I generally use it. It may be subtly distracting, but it does demonstrate that you know the rule (which is good.)

Answer 6

its correct when the subject is unknown like (one)

when one is afraid , one runs away

or

when one is afraid , they run away