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Anonymous Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Looking For "He/She" Neutral Replacement (Singular)

This has been praying on my mind:

Is there any singular replacement for "he/she" that is neutral?

For example, if you don't know the gender of a singular subject, "they" is sometimes used even though it is not correct for a singular subject:

"I got a phone call from someone while you were at lunch, but I couldn't tell if they were male or female."

Is there a correct replacement for the incorrect "they" in this sentence?

Thanks.

Please email:
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Top answer

person would work

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6 Answers
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No we don't have an official singular neutral version, it is very common to use 'they' in this situation.
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Actually, there is one. It is: Ze, Zer, and Zier. It is not very common, but transgender people and other people who know the word use it when the gender is unknown or gender neutral.

Hope I helped!
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Don't forget the impersonal pronoun 'one'.
When used, it is often found in global pronouncements,
eg One should always wash one's hands before eating.

I believe this is not used in American English.

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Anonymous"I got a phone call from someone while you were at lunch, but I couldn't tell if they were male or female."Is there a correct replacement for the incorrect "they" in this sentence?
It's not necessary. The use of "they" is fine.
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