Using THEY as an alternative third-person singular pronoun is very common now because English doesn’t have a gender-neutral equivalent.
Of the three singular pronouns, both HE and SHE are gender-specific. However, IT is only suitable for objects, things, and perhaps animals.
That’s why they is a far better alternative because it is inclusive and avoids making assumptions or references about gender.
But utilizing they requires a little writing skill because you also need to use them, their, theirs, and themselves or themself in a similar manner.
When to use they
The primary use is to avoid being gender specific.
It is also useful when the gender is unknown.
In general, the following are the typical instances when they is the appropriate pronoun to use.
1. When the gender of the subject is unknown or irrelevant.
2. To avoid using two pronouns together, such as he and she, or he or she.
3. To be gender neutral.
4. To avoid invented combinations like s/he or (s)he.
5. As an element of inclusive writing.
When using they as a singular pronoun, keep in mind that it retains its plural grammatical form of they are because it’s not possible to use a singular verb. It is impossible to use they is.
It’s not a perfect solution, but it is a linguistic compromise. However, it is not difficult to use with a bit of practice.
How to use the singular pronoun
It is reasonably easy to form coherent sentences. Here are a few simple examples to show you how to use it.
Our company is looking to hire a new data analyst. He or she They will need to have excellent Excel and database skills.
I had a long wait, as usual, for my doctor’s appointment. Like all doctors, he is they are always running late.
Like most celebrities, she gets they get a lot of attention on social media.
Other pronoun forms
The same applies to the use of their, them, or themselves.
Every new user must select a strong password to access his or her their account.
But it’s up to him or her them to decide if two-factor authentication is necessary.
A new user is expected to keep himself or herself themselves updated on the site’s terms and conditions of use. (or themself)
Rewriting to remove awkward phrases
Because you have to use a plural verb with they, it doesn’t always read well.
If you find that a phrase or sentence seems a little clumsy or difficult to understand, you can always rewrite a sentence and retain the same meaning.
Our company is looking to hire a new data analyst. They will need to have excellent Excel and database skills. (original)
Our company is looking to hire a new data analyst, who will need to have excellent Excel and database skills. (rewrite)
I had a long wait, as usual, for my doctor’s appointment. Like all doctors, he is they are always running late. (original)
I had a long wait, as usual, for my doctor’s appointment. Because, like all doctors, running late is common. (rewrite)
Like most celebrities, she gets they get a lot of attention on social media. (original)
Like most celebrities, getting a lot of attention on social media is normal. (rewrite)
Summary
When using they as the third-person singular pronoun, it can cause some grammatical problems.
However, most style guides, including APA Style and MLA, now consider it the best option for writing more inclusively and overcoming gender assumptions or references.
But it takes a little bit of writing agility in some cases to make it work and read well.
The main point, however, is that you are aware of the issue and stay mindful of unintentional gender references in your writing.
It’s up to every writer to decide when to use this form themselves.
Related reading: When To Use Maybe or May Be
