Does this sentence sound weird?

Question

When cosmetics don’t satisfy someone’s desire to improve his appearance, he will often turn to surgical procedures.

"Someone's" is singular, so I need to make the following pronouns singular, correct? It just sounds funny. Is there possibly a better way to rewrite the sentence, or does it sound okay as it is? Thanks!

Answer 1

Yes, the pronouns should be singular. It sounds fine to me, but you could also say "one's desire" instead of "someone's" to be a little more formal.

Answer 2

When cosmetics don’t satisfy someone’s desire to improve their appearance, They will often turn to surgical procedures.

Answer 3

To avoid the whole he/she pronoun debate, I just make things plural.


When cosmetics don't satisfy people's desires to improve their appearance, they will often turn to surgical procedures.

(I know desires sounds strange, but as there is more than one person, there is more than on desire as well.)

OR

When cosmetics do not satisfy the desire to improve appearances, people will often turn to surgical procedures.

Answer 4

No, don't change "don't" to "doesn't." It's correct the way you have it, agreeing with its plural subject. (Although nouns ending in -ics are often treated as singular, especially when they refer to academic subjects such as physics and civics, "cosmetics" isn't in that class. It can become singluar by dropping the s: "Lipstick is a cosmetic.")

If you change "someone's" to "one's," you'll need to change "his" and "he" to "one's" and "one." A Brit might feel comfortable with that construction, but an American might find it a little odd.

HOWEVER, I think what you really want is to change "his' and "he" to "her" and "she." You're absolutely right in thinking that "someone" needs singluar pronouns to refer back to it, but they don't have to be masculine. If you don't know the gender of the unspecified person, then you're right to use "he," etc., but if the context makes it pretty likely that that someone is female, go ahead and use feminine pronouns. Few men use cosmetics, so I'd say that your indefinite someone is probably a woman.

Answer 5

When cosmetics don't effectively improve one's appearance, surgical procedures are a logical recourse.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Ignore Jarret F, his suggestion is wrong.

Answer 8

put 'WHEN A COSMETIC DOESN'T" instead

Answer 9

you should change he to "he or she".

Answer 10

change Don't to doesn't