Can "they" be used to indicate "someone", "one", "who", "whoever", "which", "whichever"?
Can "they" be used to indicate "someone", "one", "who", "whoever", "which", "whichever"?
Examples
Whichever you want, they wouldn't make you disappointed.
Whoever you'll employ, they won't make you disappointed.
If someone asks you about me, it will be that they're trying to get something on me, so don't tell them anything about me.
One would feel the pain from the loss of their beloved, if they're human.
Who are you talking on the phone now? Are they someone I'm close to? (A person is talking with "you" on the phone)
I think that in each sentence, "they" is referring back to "whichever", "whoever", "someone", "one", "who", but I wonder whether it's grammatically correct to use "they" in this way.
Top answer
" In academic and professional circles, I would avoid it. Words like someone, anyone , etc. are singular, so a singular pronoun should be used to match them as they are the antecedents of the pronouns.
- " In academic and professional circles, I would avoid it.
- Words like someone, anyone , etc.
- are singular, so a singular pronoun should be used to match them as they are the antecedents of the pronouns.
- ," so my advice is that when a writer is writing in generally terms, the writer should use the plural to avoid the problem.
- " Others may disagree with me.
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In conversational English, many experts will accept the "singular they." In academic and professional circles, I would avoid it. Words like someone, anyone, etc. are singular, so a singular pronoun should be used to match them as they are the antecedents of the pronouns. It can be cumbersome to have to say, "he or she, him or her, etc.," so my advice is that when a writer is writ
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