Today we’ll be talking about the so-called singular THEY pronoun and its corresponding object form THEM and the possessive adjective THEIR . We call it singular THEY because it’s used to refer to a single person rather than to multiple persons as is usually the case.
But before we talk about the singular THEY, let’s have a look at other common options. Have a look at this image. You can see a lecture where students of both sexes participate.
he/she
If you want to refer to each sex separately, you can use the pronouns HE for male persons and SHE for female persons. You can also use the other forms, so HIM and HIS for males and HER for females.
I want each male student to take the exam when he is ready.
Each male student should use his book.
Each female student may do whatever she wants in class.
Each female student should bring her calculator next time.
he or she
If we don’t know or don’t want to specify the sex, we can use the forms he or she and his or her. We can also use it if a group consists of people of both sexes.
Each student should take the exam as soon as he or she has finished the course.
Each student can only use his or her own notebook.
they
Although frowned upon in the past, nowadays the pronoun THEY is becoming more and more popular in such cases. It can refer to both males and females without explicitly specifying the sex.
Each student should complete the basic math course if they want to take the more advanced calculus course.
A good student should always bring their book to class.
Singular THEY is especially common with indefinite pronouns like SOMEONE or ANYONE.
Before you invite someone to your home, you should get to know them better.
Anyone can come if they want to.
If anyone wants to tell their story, they are welcome to do so.
