Real Grammar - Susan Conrad, Douglas Biber 2009

Nonsexist language Choices
Unit 21 The chair of the committee

What have you learned from your grammar textbook?

(1) Traditionally, singular nouns with generic reference and indefinite pronouns (such as someone) take the singular pronoun he (or his or him), even though they refer to males and females. (2) Sometimes in informal English, indefinite pronouns are used with plural pronouns to avoid using a male pronoun.

1. A student of English has a difficult job; he has to learn many exceptions to rules.

2. If I told someone, they would laugh.

What does the corpus show?

A

In generic references, there are many strategies for avoiding words that refer to a male or female. Some individuals have a single favorite strategy, but there are also some general patterns in conversation and writing. The following are four common strategies.

B

The first strategy is using gender-neutral terms for jobs:

C

The second strategy is using plural pronouns for singular indefinite references:

D

The third strategy is using plural nouns for generic reference:

E

The fourth strategy is using the combinations he or she and he/she:

Activities

1 Notice in context: This academic text illustrates a variety of generic references. Find the nouns and pronouns that refer to people. Underline them if they represent a nonsexist language choice. Circle them if they use a traditional male term for generic reference.

The most typical approach used by door-to-door salespeople is to introduce themselves:

“Good morning, I’m Joe Smith, from the Zed company.” No matter what approach a salesperson adopts with his or her potential customers, it is an important step, since a customer’s likelihood of listening to a salesman in the next few minutes depends on the sales agent’s success in arousing that person’s interest. However, this is not an easy task: Stopping someone in the street or knocking on someone’s door is already an intrusion on their freedom.

2 Analyze discourse: Match each sentence with a nonsexist strategy from the box. Be careful: one sentence reflects two strategies.

1. Firefighters do a lot of lifting, don’t they? Wouldn’t you imagine that they do a lot? Those hoses are heavy.

2. If, um, you know, you help someone and they say thank you and they smile, it’s contagious and it’s gonna make you feel good.

3. Students need to feel a sense of belonging. The burden of each person’s school success should not rest on his/her shoulders alone.

4. The film begins when Milly and Clara enter the kitchen of their family home, where their mother and a cameraperson are already present.

3 Practice non-sexist terms: Read these excerpts from conversations or newspapers. Change the boldfaced traditional terms to nonsexist terms. Cross out the traditional term and write the nonsexist one above it. Make all necessary changes, such as verb agreement.

are, he are going to the store.” I still know what he means. (conv.)

2. A teacher can be barred from the classroom for one year for neglecting his duty by going on strike. (news)

3. A Corrections Department spokesman says the inmate will have twenty minutes before the parole board. (news)

4. Here's how CarBargains works: A man would call the CarBargains staff and describe the make, model and style of car for which he was looking. (news)

5. Carol is the admissions chairman of the Math and Science Department. (conv.)

4 Practice writing: Complete a newspaper report about a fire that broke out in a local department store. Use nonsexist terms to describe the people involved in this event. Remember, the second strategy (Section C) is not typical of informational writing, but it is likely to be common in quotations.

Yesterday during the lunch hour, flames were seen on the roof of Gordon’s Department Store. Servers from the store’s restaurant called in an alarm at 12:37 pm...