Tag Archives: AP Stylebook

Opening the door to singular they

Have you heard? The Associated Press Stylebook is “opening the door” to singular they. The new entry reads:

They, them, their In most cases, a plural pronoun should agree in number with the antecedent: The children love the books their uncle gave them.They/them/their is acceptable in limited cases as a singular and-or gender-neutral pronoun, when alternative wording is overly awkward or clumsy. However, rewording usually is possible and always is preferable. Clarity is a top priority; gender-neutral use of a singular they is unfamiliar to many readers. We do not use other gender-neutral pronouns such as xe or ze.

(quoted by Gerri Berendzen on the American Copy Editors Society website)

You might be thinking Why are people still talking about this? Hasn’t singular they established itself in the language?

I’d say that it has. I salute AP’ for recognizing that. Even so, they give the appearance of being dragged into it, kicking and screaming and holding their collective nose. Continue reading