To the Editor: Re “In Praise of New Pronouns,” by John McWhorter (Opinion, Sept
However, as the English language evolves, "they" is now also recognized as a singular gender-neutral pronoun
" Under the circumstances—and given that the referent for the reflexive pronoun is clearly singular—I'm not at all sure why anyone would be inclined
" Marshall traces ou to Middle English epicene a, used Singular they when the gender of the reference is unknown or irrelevant
I do not demand others adopt these gender-neutral singular pronouns; I only suggest that this change is better than As such, it fills a gap in the gender system of the core personal pronouns by virtue of being neutral as to sex
This list is of third-person gender-neutral singular pronouns in English
Third-Person and All-Gender Pronouns
Here’s the exact guidance from the page proofs of the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, section 5
Gender neutral pronouns are a way to refer to individuals without assuming their gender identity
There are over 90 recognized genders in 2023 (with a range of corresponding gender pronouns), each varying across different contexts and time periods
If you're not sure which pronoun to use, you can also use that person's name
It is recommended to use “themselves” instead, as it is the accepted reflexive pronoun for “they”
However, you would be understood using "themselves": Use
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