Graffiti Graffiti Graffiti (both singular and plural; the singular "graffito" is very rare in English except in archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and it has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire. In modern times, paint (particularly spray paint) and marker pens have become the most commonly used graffiti materials. In most countries, marking or painting property without the property owner's permission is considered defacement and vandalism,
Singular they "that truck driver", "a runner I knew"), reading was slowed when compared with use of a gendered pronoun consistent with the "stereotypic gender" (e.g. "he" for a specific truck driver). The study concluded that "the increased use of singular "they" is not problematic for the majority of readers". The singular and plural use of "they" can be compared with the pronoun "you", which originally was only plural, but by about 1700 replaced "thou" for singular referents, while retaining the plural verb form. For "you", the singular reflexive pronoun ("yourself") is different from its plural reflexive pronoun ("yourselves"); with "they" one