Proper language – third person plural

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    • #5315
      wwmartin
      Participant

      What is the editorial position on the use of third person plural to refer to a single individual? I realize that is is politically popular at the moment, but find it an obnoxious affectation.

    • #5436
      JoelRoosa
      Participant

      I’m curious as well. I hate stuff that’s PC for the sake of being PC, and I find that use of third person plural particularly obnoxious.

    • #5515
      parasamgate
      Keymaster

      Actually, it can be very useful in many situations. Sometimes in stories you don’t want to reveal the sex of the person, for any number of reasons. Or when you’re writing something with general applicability, it works much better than using only he, she, or the clumsy he/she. It’s especially useful in legal or constitutional documents, and in medical and scientific papers.

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