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Sexism - Proposed Solution

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  Ed Good  —  Grammar Tips
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Make your antecedents plural.

Refer to people, not a person. Refer to readers, not a reader. Talk about neighbors, not a neighbor. Then you can use they, their-theirs, them, and themselves.

Problem solved.

Some texts now use this approach. When generalizing, they make antecedents plural. They can then use third-person plural pronouns, which do not reveal gender:

Veterinarians are encouraged to modify and adapt the sample forms included here to fit their needs. James F. Wilson, Law and Ethics of the Veterinary Profession, p. 248 (1990).

That’s the solution I use. Whenever I’m writing about a generic type of person, I refer instead to people. Then I can use they, their-theirs, them, and themselves.

Read the next topic for more solutions to sexist writing.

 

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Next: Sexism - Other Solutions

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1 Comment
  • Jeremy Hanson
    Jeremy Hanson
    To hell with that. I purposely use generic "he" because I refuse to conform to the radical Marxist agenda of corrupting our society. However, I do find this greatly preferable to the infuriating singular "they," which I find EVERYWHERE!

    "A veterinarian is encouraged to modify and adapt the sample forms included here to fit his needs." — Most correct-sounding and educated prose.
     
    LikeReply5 years ago

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Identify the sentence with correct use of the gerund as the object of the preposition:
A They are good at to play the piano.
B He is not capable to understanding the situation.
C I am interested in learning new things.
D She avoids to speak in public.

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