The pronoun 'they'...

heartbroken22 · 2023-02-14T10:05:53+00:00

I find it hard reading articles with they. I'm not sure if I've got a disability or something but if the article is talking about one person and it says they, my brain automatically inflates trying to make sense of it and I turn off like I'm confused. Not here to offend. But it's just hard trying to process it.

tabulahrasa · 14/02/2023 10:12

I think articles written using they as a person’s pronoun are often really badly written - I’ve noticed quite a few times that they is used confusingly where you have to go back and work out whether it means the person or something else also mentioned.

For example writing about Demi Levato and Disney and a sentence using they where it meant you didn’t actually know who was meant and it would have been much clearer if it had just been written as Demi or Disney.

rainbowtwist · 14/02/2023 10:15

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Cam22 · 14/02/2023 10:17

The pronoun “they” is a plural form of a verb. The end.

Cam22 · 14/02/2023 10:18

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“Come on to fuck.”

My goodness, how impressive.

new2mn · 14/02/2023 10:19

Putting aside all the political stuff, I've never had a problem with this, as I've always used "they" when the person's identity (as in actual identity, not gender identity) and therefore gender is unknown. It's a fairly longstanding grammatical tradition isn't it?

CaptainMyCaptain · 14/02/2023 10:20

Cam22 · 14/02/2023 10:17

The pronoun “they” is a plural form of a verb. The end.

Also used where you don't know the sex of the person.

CaptainMyCaptain · 14/02/2023 10:21

new2mn · 14/02/2023 10:19

Putting aside all the political stuff, I've never had a problem with this, as I've always used "they" when the person's identity (as in actual identity, not gender identity) and therefore gender is unknown. It's a fairly longstanding grammatical tradition isn't it?

Exactly.

rainbowtwist · 14/02/2023 10:21

I'm not trying to be impressive. In fact I am more aware than anyone that I struggle to put things into worlds and obviously could have just said fuck off but that's a 'personal attack' so would have got me a deletion.

Using disability to get the point across about the use of the word they is a disgraceful thing to do.

Cam22 · 14/02/2023 10:22

And yes, it makes a sentence utterly unintelligible when it is used to describe one entity.

Just leave the language alone.

Tempone · 14/02/2023 10:22

They has always been used though? When you don't know the sex or gender you say "they ...."

Cam22 · 14/02/2023 10:23

CaptainMyCaptain · 14/02/2023 10:20

Also used where you don't know the sex of the person.

Show quote history

That’s the problem. It reads as nonsense.

Tempone · 14/02/2023 10:23

And your faux co fusion is absolutely not a disability and minimises actual disability

TetherEndOfMy · 14/02/2023 10:24

Without going into my personal opinions on the use of they as a pronoun, you're being utterly daft to jump to 'maybe I have a disability' 🙄

rainbowtwist · 14/02/2023 10:24

Tempone · 14/02/2023 10:23

And your faux co fusion is absolutely not a disability and minimises actual disability

This was the point I was badly trying to make.

SoupDragon · 14/02/2023 10:25

Cam22 · 14/02/2023 10:17

The pronoun “they” is a plural form of a verb. The end.

Using "the end" to try to claim something is absolute fact when it isn't just makes you look silly.

heathspeedwell · 14/02/2023 10:26

It's absolutely the case that some neuro-atypical people find it difficult to tell lies. So yes, using 'they' to talk about an individual in certain contexts can be extremely difficult for some people.

RagingWoke · 14/02/2023 10:26

'They' has been used long before now and it's very common. It's not actually the language or use of they that is the issue, it's bigotry. But it's easier, edgier or whatever to be faux confused by a pronoun that you've used your entire life without issue.

And 'I'm not sure if I've got a disability or something'- not ok.

GimmeBiscuits · 14/02/2023 10:27

new2mn · 14/02/2023 10:19

Putting aside all the political stuff, I've never had a problem with this, as I've always used "they" when the person's identity (as in actual identity, not gender identity) and therefore gender is unknown. It's a fairly longstanding grammatical tradition isn't it?

I agree. I'm in my 50s and so grew up at a time when mocking people who were in any way different was deemed acceptable.
I manage easily.
It amazes me how much everyday language is rooted in archaic sexist tropes. I had a discussion with someone recently and they were insisting that they "weren't allowed" to start a meeting by saying "Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls". I did suggest that saying "Welcome everyone" covered all of those options in fewer words.

FuckabethFuckor · 14/02/2023 10:28

Cheap shot

pigsinoodies · 14/02/2023 10:29

Cam22 · 14/02/2023 10:17

The pronoun “they” is a plural form of a verb. The end.

A verb?

pointythings · 14/02/2023 10:29

The use of 'they' as a singular for a person whose gender is unknown goes back to Shakespeare, so any wide-eyed faux naif pretence that it is a dreadful form of neologism is just bollocks.

PuttingDownRoots · 14/02/2023 10:30

They has always been used to describe someone of unknown gender and or sex. So it doesn't necessarily read as nonsense.

ComtesseDeSpair · 14/02/2023 10:33

I just used it about 10 minutes ago, to ask my colleague “our new Acquisitions Director in Bermuda; does anyone know if they’ve been recruited yet? And when they might start?” because I don’t know their name or sex. It’s really not that complicated, regardless of your view on gender identity.

ArtixLynx · 14/02/2023 10:33

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Magentax · 14/02/2023 10:34

Have you always found this difficult? It isn't a new use of "they" at all.

The pronoun “they” is a plural form of a verb. The end.

Oh dear.