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Burgasglarus Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

the correct pronoun is?

The person who knows the answer should raise his hand.
The person who knows the answer should raise his or her hand.
or
The person who knows the answer should raise their hand.
  

Top answer

All are correct. The difference is a matter of style. The person who knows the answer should raise his hand.

  • All are correct.
  • The difference is a matter of style.
  • The person who knows the answer should raise his hand.
  • Formerly (40 - 100 years ago), this was the only correct version, especially for formal writing.
  • The person who knows the answer should raise his or her hand.
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2 Answers
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All are correct. The difference is a matter of style.


The person who knows the answer should raise his hand. Formerly (40 - 100 years ago), this was the only correct version, especially for formal writing.
The person who knows the answer should raise his or her hand. More recently, this has been used,
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To me, "The person ..." sounds as if you are expecting exactly one person to know the answer. In most situations, where it is not known how many people, if any, will know the answer, I would most likely say "Anyone who knows ...".

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