Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site lanl.ARPA
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!lanl!crs
From: crs@lanl.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: ``They'' vs. ``one'' vs. nothing
Message-ID: <24902@lanl.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 23-Apr-85 09:19:14 EST
Article-I.D.: lanl.24902
Posted: Tue Apr 23 09:19:14 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 26-Apr-85 02:17:41 EST
References: <2379@randvax.UUCP> <291@mhuxr.UUCP> <2396@randvax.UUCP> <182@spar.UUCP> <300@mhuxr.UUCP>
Sender: newsreader@lanl.ARPA
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lines: 41

> > Michael Ellis:
> >     A. When you see Bill's secretary, be sure you give him/her my memo.
> > 
> >        Here, the pronoun has anaphoric use; it refers to a previously
> >        mentioned specific noun. Which of the below sentences is 
> >        is more natural?
> > 
> >     B. When you see Bill's secretary, be sure you give them my memo.
> >     C. When you see Bill's secretary, be sure you give one my memo.
> > 
> >      I'd believe that the vast majority of native english speakers
> >       would at least understand (B), but not (C).
> 
> How about phrasing the sentence as:
> 	Be sure to give Bill's secretary my memo.
> 
> Also, in that context, it is likely that the sex of the secretary will be known.
> 'One' refers to a person or thing as part of a group of persons or things,
> where the interesting attribute is belonging to the group. Thus 'one' would not
> be the pronoun of choice in the context you cite. It is always possible, and
> generally easy, to phrase gender neutrally, and avoid awkwardness.
> 
> Marcel Simon

It is also not too difficult to pick awkward examples of the form that
you don't like as in C. above.  I must agree with Marcel.  I come from
an area and a time when singular "they" was a *commonly used* form of
*poor* grammar.  Now it grates on my ear as do misuse of comprise and
any use of orientate (yes I know it's in the dictionary; the next
thing we'll find there is "ostentate").  I agree with the occasional
need for a gender non-specific singular pronoun[1] but they isn't it.
Perhaps, as someone suggested a while ago, we should find a language
that supports one and borrow theirs as we have done with so many
useful words.

[1]  We have a gender *neutral* singular pronoun; it is "it".


Charlie Sorsby
...!{cmcl2,ihnp4,...}!lanl!crs
crs@lanl.arpa