Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!qantel!lll-lcc!lll-crg!seismo!mcvax!ukc!icdoc!cdsm From: cdsm@icdoc.UUCP (Chris Moss) Newsgroups: net.singles,net.nlang Subject: Re: Grammar and Spelling on the Net Message-ID: <293@ivax.icdoc.UUCP> Date: Mon, 3-Mar-86 08:58:55 EST Article-I.D.: ivax.293 Posted: Mon Mar 3 08:58:55 1986 Date-Received: Sun, 16-Mar-86 00:32:05 EST References: <235@pttesac.UUCP> <33100034@ISM780.UUCP> <658@frog.UUCP> <11949@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <407@utastro.UUCP> <8@mit-eddie.UUCP> Reply-To: cdsm@icdoc.UUCP (Chris Moss) Organization: Dept. of Computing, Imperial College, London, UK. Lines: 15 Xref: watmath net.singles:10979 net.nlang:4299 > >Wrong. The marked words are plaural pronouns. In each sentence, the >subject is singualar. The correct pronoun is "his," although some would >argue for "his/her." > >Jeff Siegal - MIT EECS Consult the Oxford English Dictionary for a more authoritative angle on this. It quotes singular uses of 'their' and even 'they' dating back to the sixteenth or seventeenth century (I think), and accepts the usage. If you want to argue right against wrong, use authorities worthy of the name! I won't comment on Jeff's spelling :-) Chris Moss, Imperial College, London.