Internet English story

[ensiform]

'their' can be the possessive for a singular subject such as 'someone', 'nobody' etc. 'Somebody has left their umbrella on the bus' is perfectly acceptable.

I was taught such usage was also incorrect, that it should be 'Somebody has left his umbrella on the bus'.



The example is in fact taken from section 505 of Michael Swan's 'Practical English Usage' a book which has over the years come to be regarded as a 'bible' in matters of English Grammar.

More than that, in the same section Swan goes on to point out that 'they/ them/their' can be used with a singular subject even when the sex of the subject is known:

'No girl should be made to wear school uniform because it makes them look like a sack of potatoes'.

Happy yuletide

MK

From the brilliant Language Log, which more of you "I was taught it in school, consarnit!  Standards are slipping, you whippersnappers!" prescriptivists ought to read:
http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=4475

"Professor Heinz Giegerich has pointed out to me that in the wake of Pope Benedict's resignation of his position at least two BBC reporters have been referring to the next pope, whoever that might be, using singular they. I don't have specific word-for-word quotations, but (apparently) reporters have been using phrases like The next pope will find that they…, or Anyone who expects the cardinals to elect them, and so on. Further evidence (to be added to evidence like the case of "They are a prophet") that singular they is not motived only or necessarily by ignorance or indecision about which gender is appropriate. The next pope, whoever they may be, will surely be a man, like all previous popes, so the pronoun he would be appropriate and unobjectionable. But we have no idea which man, so singular they also feels entirely appropriate, contrary to what all the dumb usage pontificators say."

[pat]

I don't think I'm a prescriptivist and I accept that the singular 'they/their' etc. are sadly becoming more common, even when there's absolutely no need to use the words.

Nevertheless I still maintain that it's an ugly and clunky distortion of the language. In fact I prefer to see (and to use) a generic 'he/his', sexist though some may claim it to be.

[pat]

An interesting thought, though. They/their are used in the singular because there exists no generic term to cover both his and her. Given our willingness to invent and embrace new words, I wonder why we're so reluctant to open up a closed group of words and invent a new, singular they.

So come on, you brainboxes. If that were ever to happen, what would be your suggestions for singular alternatives for they, them, their, theirs?

[mkenuk]

The simple fact is, Pat, that language isn't 'invented' in this way; language evolves through usage; like it or not, more and more, 'they / their / them' are becoming the 'androgynous' singular pronouns.

There's nothing unusual, incidentally, about a pronoun 'multi-tasking' in this way: 'sie' in German can be 'she', 'they' or 'you' (singular and plural).

I agree with you, however, about using 'they / their' for the next pope: the next pope must be a man, the legendary Pope Joan notwithstanding, so 'he' and 'him' should be used here (imo).

MK