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Anonymous Posted 13 years ago
Linguistics Studies

Pronoun agreement: "they" with "anybody"

A few commenters have told me that the pronoun agreement is incorrect here, but I disagree. What do you say?

He would never be nasty to anybody until they stepped over the line.
  

Top answer

Most people accept it these days.

— Fivejedjon

  • Most people accept it these days.
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22 Answers
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Most people accept it these days.
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This is what Random House Unabridged Dictionary says:

—Usage. Long before the use of generic HE was condemned as sexist, the pronouns THEY, THEIR, and THEM were used in educated speech and in all but the most formal writing to refer to indefinite pronouns and to singular nouns of general personal reference, probably because such nouns are often not felt to be
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As I thought, it's always been grammatically correct. Thanks for the link.
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AnonymousAs I thought, it's always been grammatically correct.
Not if you have a conservative editor or are taking some language proficiency tests, however. I suggest that you recast just to be on the safe side: He would never be nasty to people until they stepped over the line.
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Well, the fact that it is grammatical wouldn't change even in that circumstance, I guess, Mister Micawber. The conservative editor or the marker of the test would be working from their in-house preference, wouldn't they? They couldn't really present a case for it being ungrammatical.
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Anonymous They couldn't really present a case for it being ungrammatical.
No! Go ahead and challenge them!

Let us know how it comes out.
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AnonymousThey couldn't really present a case for it being ungrammatical.
They could. Anybody is singular; they is plural.
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fivejedjon AnonymousThey couldn't really present a case for it being ungrammatical.They could. Anybody is singular; they is plural.
Yes, but can you please look at this and tell me what you think?

"For the people who have asked me why they takes plural agreement: "singular they" is an abbreviatory name, and it does not imply anything abo
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Anonymous fivejedjon AnonymousThey couldn't really present a case for it being ungrammatical.They could. Anybody is singular; they is plural.Yes, but can you please look at this and tell me what you think?"[...] The sentence is fully grammatical.." - Geoff Pullum, linguist.
I agree with Pullum, as it happens. I had merely responded to your 'They couldn't reall
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fivejedjon It's grammatical in Pullum's system of grammar. It's not grammatical in the systems propounded by many traditionalists.
As I understand it, it is not Pullum's system, but is the way Standard English works:

"Everyone knows each other", said someone on BBC Radio 4 this morning, speaking about some tight-knit community. And instantly I saw tha
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