What do pronouns have to do with appropriate language?

Answer 1

Inclusive pronoun use can help make a sentence gender neutral.

Answer 2

The appropriate pronouns will reflect the number, person, and gender of the antecedent.

• The number is singular or plural.
• The person is the person(s) speaking (first person), the person(s) spoken to (second person), the person spoken about (third person).
• The gender is male, female, common, or neuter.

Examples:

My father takes me camping. Heteaches me a lot about nature.

• The pronoun 'he' is a singular pronoun that takes the place of the singular noun 'father'.
• The pronoun 'he' is a third person pronoun, a word for the person spoken about, 'father'.
• The pronoun 'he' is a pronoun for a male that takes the place of the noun for a male, 'father'.

You and I can finish this if we work together.

• The pronoun 'we' is a plural pronoun that takes the place of the two subject pronouns, 'you and I'.
• The pronoun 'we' is a first person pronoun, a word for the person speaking and one or more other people.
• The pronoun 'we' is a common gender pronoun, a word that takes the place of a noun or pronoun for males, females, or both.

The cars could not move forward. They were blocked by an accident.

• The pronoun 'they' is a plural pronoun that takes the place of the plural noun 'cars'.
• The pronoun 'they' is a third person pronoun, a word for something spoken about, 'cars'.
• The pronoun 'they' is functioning as a neuter pronoun, a word that takes the place of a noun that has no 'gender'.

Note: The pronouns 'they' and 'them' can take the place of a noun(s) for two or more, male or female, common or neuter antecedent(s).