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Inchoateknowledge Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
plural or singular?
It has been a matter of confusion to me:
Anybody in favour of the proposal should raise their hands.
Is it correct if I put hands in singular:
Anybody in favour of the proosal should raise their hand.
Or is it also a matter of formal-informal distinction?
Thank you in advance.
Anybody in favour of the proposal should raise their hands.
Is it correct if I put hands in singular:
Anybody in favour of the proosal should raise their hand.
Or is it also a matter of formal-informal distinction?
Thank you in advance.
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11 Answers
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Anybody in favour of the proposal should raise their hands.
In formal English, it should be Anybody in favour of the proposal should raise his or her hand. (if males and females are present)
Anybody in favour of the proposal should raise his hand. (if only males are present)
Anybody in favour of the proposal should raise her
In formal English, it should be Anybody in favour of the proposal should raise his or her hand. (if males and females are present)
Anybody in favour of the proposal should raise his hand. (if only males are present)
Anybody in favour of the proposal should raise her
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Incho, it's that problem with singular "they." There isn't agreement, really, on how to handle this.
If you write singular hand, someone will say "What, do you think all these people have only one hand among them?" and if you write plural hands, someone will say (as Milky did) "Do you want them to raise both hands?"
My solution is generally to rewrite: All those fav
If you write singular hand, someone will say "What, do you think all these people have only one hand among them?" and if you write plural hands, someone will say (as Milky did) "Do you want them to raise both hands?"
My solution is generally to rewrite: All those fav
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MilkyDo you want each person to raise two hands?Milky, while I appreciate your help, sometimes I feel you are on my back --just think of each of my posts being commented by you.
I suspect that you are working aginst me in an insidious and injurious way.
As regards my typing singularwrong: do you really think that I do not know how
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Grammar GeekIncho, it's that problem with singular "they." There isn't agreement, really, on how to handle this.
If you write singular hand, someone will say "What, do you think all these people have only one hand among them?" and if you write plural hands, someone will say (as Milky did) "Do you want them to raise both hands?"
My solution
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Yoong LiatAnybody in favour of the proposal should raise their hands.
In formal English, it should be Anybody in favour of the proposal should raise his or her hand. (if males and females are present)
Anybody in favour of the proposal should raise his hand. (if only males are present)
Anybody in favour o
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MilkyDo you want each person to raise two hands?"Their hand" means many "one hand"
hands are in the air, which belong to them(their)
this is why I considered "their hands" to be possibly right
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I must emphasise that I'm not taking sides. What is important is the question/s asked. Titles are not relevant to the issue.
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