He or She (Masculine use or Feminine use)

Question

I am going to try my best to ask this question. Hopefully it makes sense. When referring to a noun in a story and the only option is to use he or she in the sentence. Do you pick he/she. For example. The doctor ........, and she/he went to the store later. (Not the best sentence example. Hopefully this makes sense). Thanks.

Rayo · Accepted Answer

Wanted to add one more thing: I know that in the past it was he/him/his but I have been seeing she/her sometimes too.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

I am going to try my best to ask this question. Hopefully it makes sense. When referring to a noun in a story and the only option is to use he or she in the sentence. Do you pick he/she. For example. The doctor ........, and she/he went to the store later. (Not the best sentence example

eg The doctor went to the library. Later, ____ went to the store.

Traditionally, the pronoun 'he' was used, and it was generally accepted to include 'he or she'.
Later, some people began to object, arguing that the use of 'he' in this way subtly suggests that women cannot be doctors.
In a sentence like the above, many people today would say 'he or she' if the doctor's *** is unknown.

However, it is a cumbersome phrase. Often, people prefer to reword the sentence in order to avoid the problem.
eg The doctor went to the library and later to the store.

Clive

Rayo · Answer

Thank you. I appreciate your help.

Khoff · Answer

Clive's answer is great. Another possibility, in some contexts, is to use "they" as a gender-neutral singular pronoun. Some people consider it incorrect, but it has actually been used this way for quite a long time. It doesn't work so well in the example you gave (although in your example, I would think that in a story you would have established whether the doctor was a man or a women) but more when speaking in generalities: "If you consult a doctor, you should follow their advice."

Rayo · Answer

Thank you. Your advice was very helpful as well.

He or She (Masculine use or Feminine use)

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions