Rules for writers, Tenth edition - Diana Hacker, Nancy Sommers 2021
Take care with indefinite pronouns (anybody, everyone) and generic nouns
Make pronouns and antecedents agree
Grammar
A pronoun is a word that substitutes for a noun. Many pronouns have antecedents, nouns or pronouns to which they refer. A pronoun and its antecedent agree when they are both singular or both plural.
FOR MULTILINGUAL WRITERS
The pronouns he, his, she, her, it, its, they, and their should agree in gender (masculine, feminine, or neutral) with their antecedents, not with the words they modify.
22a Take care with indefinite pronouns (anybody, everyone) and generic nouns.
Writers are frequently tempted to use plural pronouns to refer to two kinds of singular antecedents: indefinite pronouns and generic nouns.
Indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns refer to nonspecific persons or things.
anybody |
each |
everyone |
nobody |
somebody |
anyone |
either |
everything |
no one |
someone |
anything |
everybody |
neither |
nothing |
something |
In the past, indefinite pronouns have been treated as singular. However, using a singular pronoun to refer to an indefinite pronoun can result in a sentence that is sexist, and the traditional alternatives (he or she, he/she) are wordy and noninclusive. (See 17e.)
SEXIST |
Everyone performs at his own fitness level. |
NONINCLUSIVE |
Everyone performs at his or her own fitness level. |
It is increasingly acceptable to use the gender-neutral pronoun they to refer to indefinite pronouns.
Everyone performs at their own fitness level.
The following are your options for revision.
1. Make the antecedent plural.
2. Rewrite the sentence so that no problem of agreement exists.
3. Use the gender-neutral pronoun they to refer to the singular antecedent.
If you change a pronoun in a sentence, check to be sure that the verb agrees with the new pronoun (see 21e).
Generic nouns
A generic noun represents a typical member of a group, such as a typical student, or any member of a group, such as a lawyer. Like indefinite pronouns, generic nouns have previously been considered singular. However, the singular use of they is increasingly acceptable with generic nouns. Avoid using he to refer to generic nouns, as in A runner must train if he wants to excel.
When revising sentences with generic nouns, you will usually have the same three options as for indefinite pronouns.
