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Until about 1970, the default pronoun to replace a common gender noun where the gender is unknown was masculine: he, him, his. This was thought to be unreasonable, mainly by feminists, and reasonably so.
A number of competing models have co-existed since then, for example"he/she," "s/he" (not widespread), "she/he," "him/her", or "her/him".
I can recall reading an article in about 1980 that the Oxford English Dictionary had accepted as standard "they/them/their/theirs" (using a generic plural pronoun to take the place of a singular common gender noun). That achieved widespread acceptance in the eighties and nineties, but the other variants have perhaps more recently regained some standing.
When the gender of the common gender noun is known (a male cat, a female male doctor, a male teacher, a female parent, etc.) use the appropriate gender specific pronoun.
Unfortunately, this answer is not clearly defined. Either use the form that you prefer or, if you are a student, whichever form your teacher requires.
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The unreformed version (the default "he, him, his"), mainly found among foreign learners of English. Here in Russia, my students have been taught it is correct and are wary of venturing away. Why all the fuss? Well, in English there is, among nouns, no real grammatical gender apart from physical gender. So, whereas in Russian, to refer to a cup as "she" or a glass as "he" is unremarkable - and there are female-only and male-only names for professions, in English, to speaker of a writer as "he" does tend to imply that we are talking about a male person. So, without calling myself a feminist, I agree that he/him/his has had its day. I go along with the OED finding.
What else can I help you with?
Why is it important to know pronouns antecedents?
It is important to know pronoun antecedents because the antecedent determines which pronoun is used. The pronoun used is dependent on the number (singular or plural) and the gender (male, female, or neuter) of the antecedent noun.
Can a pronoun have a gender?
Yes, there are pronouns for a male, female, neuter, or common gender.The pronouns that take the place of a noun for a male are:hehimhishimselfThe pronouns that take the place of a noun for a female are: sheherhersherselfThe pronouns that takes the place of a neuter noun or a thing of unknown gender are: it,itsitselfThe pronouns that take the place of a common gender noun or a noun whose gender is unknown or unspecified are: Imemyminemyselfweusouroursourselvesyouyouryoursyourselftheythemtheirtheirsthemselves
How do you refer to a third person?
You can refer to a third person by using pronouns such as "he," "she," or "they," depending on the gender identity or preference of the person you are talking about. Additionally, using the person's name is also a common way to refer to them when speaking in the third person.
What are ambiguous antecedents?
Antecedents are those which come before. The term often refers to ancestors, although it can have other meanings as well. If a person is said to have ambiguous antecedents, it would mean that you really don't know what to think about that person's ancestry.
What is the Similarities of nouns and pronouns?
Both nouns and pronouns are words for people or things. Both nouns and pronouns can be singular or plural. Both nouns and pronouns can be gender specific, common gender, or neuter. Both nouns and pronouns will function as the subject of a sentence or a clause, and as the object of a verb or a preposition.
Why is it important to know pronouns antecedents?
It is important to know pronoun antecedents because the antecedent determines which pronoun is used. The pronoun used is dependent on the number (singular or plural) and the gender (male, female, or neuter) of the antecedent noun.
Can a pronoun have a gender?
Yes, there are pronouns for a male, female, neuter, or common gender.The pronouns that take the place of a noun for a male are:hehimhishimselfThe pronouns that take the place of a noun for a female are: sheherhersherselfThe pronouns that takes the place of a neuter noun or a thing of unknown gender are: it,itsitselfThe pronouns that take the place of a common gender noun or a noun whose gender is unknown or unspecified are: Imemyminemyselfweusouroursourselvesyouyouryoursyourselftheythemtheirtheirsthemselves
Pronouns that refer to inanimate objects are in what gender?
neuter
How do you refer to a third person?
You can refer to a third person by using pronouns such as "he," "she," or "they," depending on the gender identity or preference of the person you are talking about. Additionally, using the person's name is also a common way to refer to them when speaking in the third person.
What are ambiguous antecedents?
Antecedents are those which come before. The term often refers to ancestors, although it can have other meanings as well. If a person is said to have ambiguous antecedents, it would mean that you really don't know what to think about that person's ancestry.
What is the Similarities of nouns and pronouns?
Both nouns and pronouns are words for people or things. Both nouns and pronouns can be singular or plural. Both nouns and pronouns can be gender specific, common gender, or neuter. Both nouns and pronouns will function as the subject of a sentence or a clause, and as the object of a verb or a preposition.
What is the rule for neutral gender as antecedents?
A neutral gender noun, also called a common gender noun (for example doctor, parent, driver, etc.) has no specific rule for a pronoun to take its place. Sometimes the pronouns 'they' and 'them' are used even for a singular antecedant; sometimes an indefinite pronoun is used, for example 'one' or 'each'. Sometimes the default 'he' and 'him' is used when speaking, or some people use the clumsy 's/he' or 'he/she' when writing. The pronouns that take the place of a neutral (common) gender noun depend on the context of a sentence or the preference of the speaker (writer). When the gender of the person is known, the specific male or female pronoun can be used; for example: My lawyer told me that she had filed my case. Our neighbor said that he would cut our lawn.
What is reference chain in grammar?
In grammar, a reference chain refers to the connection between pronouns and the nouns they refer to in a sentence. It is important for maintaining clarity and coherence in writing by ensuring that pronouns have clear antecedents. An unclear or broken reference chain can result in confusion for the reader.
Do interrogative pronouns have antecedents?
If an interrogative pronoun has an antecedent, it is usually the answer to the question:Whatis today? Today is the fifth of the month.Which woul you like? I would like the lemon, please.Who is your math teacher? I hve Mr. Smith. (In this case both can be considered an antecedent.)To whom should I give my application form? I don't know. (No antecedent here.)
If he is a his why isn't she a shis?
In English, personal pronouns like "he" and "she" do not have corresponding gender-neutral forms like "shis." The pronouns "he" and "she" are used to refer to individuals based on their gender identity as male or female, respectively.
What are pronouns that refer primarily to people called?
Pronouns that refer mostly to people are called personal pronouns. Some personal pronouns include I, me, you, him, her, she, them, he, and they.
Are she and he common nouns?
Yes, "she" and "he" are common pronouns used to refer to people or things previously mentioned in a sentence.
