Glad that Tufte agrees
I’ve always had a problem saying “he” or “she” when I really want to say “they.” For example, “The user can read the help information before they decide on the best option” just sounds so much better than “The user can read the help information before she decides on the best option.” The user, in this case, is gender-neutral so why do I have to choose a gender when talking about them? The other option, of course, is “he/she,” but that becomes even more awkward.
I’m happy to see that Tufte agrees with me:
Do not use masculine pronouns—use plurals
Even though it may not always be grammatically correct, you should say “they” instead of “him or her”
and it will sound better—both because it’s shorter and because no one can be alienated. Why risk not communicating simply because someone may be sensitive?
I must diasagree. It is never correct, grammatically or otherwise, to refer to a singular with a plural. If you are loth to use the circumlocutive constructions “him or her” or “s/he”, simply make the subject plural as well. That is, instead of writing an abomination such as “*The user can change their settings by …”, write instead “Users can change their settings by …”. No information is lost, communication is not impeded, and noone is alienated, grammarians included.
I know I’m fighting a losing battle on this front, but battle I must, and will.
@”Chief Curmudgeon”:
I admit, when I write sentences like my example above, I do pluralize the subject so I can write “they” rather than he/she. What Tufte was talking about, however, is presentations and I think in that case, it’s ok to use imperfect grammar.
In writing, poor grammar stands out like a sore thumb to people such as yourself and anyone else that has ever studied even the most basic rules of grammar. But when you’re speaking, relaxing your grammar is sometimes preferable. As Tufte points out, saying “they” makes sure you don’t alienate anyone in the audience. It also makes you sound more relaxed and natural, which makes the presentation easier to take in.
In practice, I typically relax my grammar when speaking and when writing in a casual style, like on this blog. When I write specifications or other formal documents, I do take care to use correct grammar. The difference is in whether you want your words to sound like a conversation or like a speech. I tend to lean toward the casual/conversational tone, but that’s is not for everybody.
I have such mixed feelings on this. Oh, and is Chief Curmudgeon Stefaan?
Yep, that would be him.
(at least that’s what I’m assuming…)