Grammar Smart 3rd Edition - Princeton Review 2014
I. Gender-Neutral Writing
Part 3. Putting It All Together
The term gender-neutral writing refers to writing that avoids making unjustified assumptions about the gender of the person it describes. For example, writers have traditionally used the pronoun he to refer to an anonymous or generic person (“if a writer wants to be successful, he needs to understand grammar”). But times have changed. These days, the readers of your work, as well as the people you are writing about, are likely to be of both genders equally. It’s in your best interest to make your reader feel included by your choice of words, so you should strive for gender-neutral writing at all times.
This doesn’t mean that you have to butcher your writing. At most it will mean a little extra work, but in return you will reduce the risk of alienating your readers with language that could be interpreted as chauvinistic or outmoded. And the extra time you put into crafting your sentences carefully will probably make your writing more precise and easier to read. Finally, you should use gender-neutral language because it follows our golden rule: avoid trouble. If a sentence could be misinterpreted, find another way to write it. The following is a quick guide to writing in a gender-neutral fashion.
The Obvious Stuff: Nouns
Whenever possible, avoid using generic terms based on the word “man.”
Not preferred Preferred
Man human, personality
Mankind humanity, people, human beings
Man-made manufactured, synthetic, artificial
Man-hours work-hours, staff-hours
All I need to complete this job are a few good people.
Not: All I need to complete this job are a few good men.
Also, use the neutral form of job titles.
Not preferred Preferred
mailman letter carrier
congressman representative
policeman police officer
fireman firefighter
steward/stewardess flight attendant
chairman chairperson, coordinator
To protest this law, write to your congressional representative.
Not: To protest this law, write to your congressman.
The Harder Stuff: Pronouns And Possessives
The trickier part of gender-neutral writing is learning how to deal with pronouns. Here are some ways you can write your sentences to avoid these pitfalls.
1. Use the plural they or them.
Because there is no gender-neutral singular pronoun in English, use the plural pronouns they and them to refer to people in general. The solution is to put everything in plural form.
Students should solve their own problems.
Not: Every student should solve his own problem.
2. Replace the possessive with a, an, or the.
Often there’s no reason to use his—you can simply replace it with a or the.
Give each candidate the exam upon arrival.
Not: Give each candidate his exam as soon as he arrives.
3. Eliminate the pronoun or possessive.
In some cases, you can simply remove the pronoun or possessive, and the sentence will still be perfectly readable:
Anyone who wants an ice cream should bring three dollars to class on Monday.
Not: Anyone who wants an ice cream should bring his three dollars to class on Monday.
4. Replace he and him with he or she and his with his or her.
Each student should consult his or her advisor before registering.
Not: Each student should consult his advisor before registering.
Another way to fix this sentence would be to follow #2 above:
Each student should consult an advisor before registering.
5. Replace he/him with you/your or one/one’s or another neutral noun.
If you want to prevent confusion, you should avoid using “he” except when referring to a male.
Not: If a writer wants to prevent confusion, he should avoid using the word “he”, unless he is referring to a male.
If one wants to prevent confusion, one should avoid using the word “he” except when referring to a male. Also to prevent confusion, writers should avoid using the word “he” except when referring to a male.
Summary
■ subject-verb agreement: Subjects and verb must agree. Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.
■ pronoun agreement: Pronouns must agree with their antecedents. Singular pronouns stand in for singular nouns, and plural pronouns stand in for plural nouns.
■ parallel construction: When making a list, put words, phrases, or clauses in the same form. Be consistent.
■ faulty comparison: Compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges; that is, nouns to nouns and verbs to verbs. Don’t leave part of the comparison out.
■ misplaced modifier: Modifiers, whether single words or phrases, should be placed as close as possible to what is being modified. Look out for a participial phrase beginning the sentence.
■ idiom: Use the right preposition with the right idiom. Unfortunately, idioms, by definition, have no standardized set of rules; you must learn them separately.
■ diction: Use words correctly. Be careful not to confuse the meanings of similarlooking words.
■ redundancy: Do not say the same thing twice, needlessly. Be concise. Be clear.
■ voice: The two voices are active, in which the subject acts, and passive, in which something is done to the subject. Use active voice if possible.
■ mood: Verbs, or sentences, have three moods: indicative mood makes a statement or asks a question; imperative mood gives a direction or makes a command; subjunctive mood is used for statements contrary to fact, or in that clauses of order, demand or recommendation. Subjunctive is the only mood that puts anyone in a bad mood.