0
Believer Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

Are these sentences OK?

Hi,

Please help me with this.

1. Each student makes their own plans. -- I feel this sentence should be "Each student makes his/her plan" or "Each student makes their own plan."

2. Every time I want to play it, I keep remembering that ... -- I think this is OK but I feel the sentence "Every time I want to play it, I kept remembering that ..." could be OK too. What is the difference?

3. I did a 'color by numbers' activity. -- I think the sentence "I did the 'color by numbers' activity" would be better. Why did the person put a and not the there? Is it acceptable when the word 'activity' is preceded by something in apostrophes modifying the activity, possibly indicating what kind of game that is?
  

Top answer

1. Each student makes their own plans. " All correct.

— Marius Hancu

  • 1.
  • Each student makes their own plans.
  • " All correct.
  • 2.
  • Every time I want to play it, I keep remembering that ...
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

6 Answers
0
1. Each student makes their own plans. -- I feel this sentence should be "Each student makes his/her plan" or "Each student makes their own plan." All correct.

2. Every time I want to play it, I keep remembering that ... -- I think this is OK but I feel the sentence "Every time I want to play it, I kept remembering that ..." could be OK too. What is the
0
0
<1. Each student makes their own plans. -- I feel this sentence should be "Each student makes his/her plan" or "Each student makes their own plan." >

If each student is making only one individual plan, then"plan" is correct. . One plan each student, right?

Here "their" is plural:

The students made their plans.
0
0
Milky< Every time I want to play it, I keep remembering that..> No need for "keep" at all.
Every time I want to play it, I remember that...
Keep is important here for underlining a stubborn repetition of a given tendency/habit:
-------
keep

c : to persist resolutely o
0
0
<Keep is important here for underlining a stubborn repetition of a given tendency/habit: >

I disagree. "Each time" covers the persistence.

I remember on each occasion. (persistence)
0
0
Marius Hancu1. Each student makes their own plans. -- I feel this sentence should be "Each student makes his/her plan" or "Each student makes their own plan." All correct.

I wonder who's meant by 'their' there. The plan of the whole group? If so, then
0
0
The "problem" is that the use of the word they for a singular antecedant (each student) is still in debate in terms of acceptability. I don't like it, but I'm reluctantly coming around to its use. Others embrace it and use it freely as a way to avoide the awkwardness of continually saying "his or her." If you want to rewrite without the plural they but emphasize that it's one studen
0

Related Questions