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What should we use as gender-neutral pronouns for non-binary people?
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It is improper grammar to use singular "they/them"

It would be detrimental to learning to change the grammatical rules which are already in place, as students would then have to unlearn old grammar - it is more difficult to unlearn something than it is to learn something new. Therefore it is more logical to use a new set of gender-neutral pronouns.
English Gender Identity LGBTQ

The Argument

"They/them" is plural and that is that. To suddenly change a fundamental part of the foundation of grammar would be confusing to students and to grammarians everywhere; and if the teacher is confused, then how are the students supposed to learn?[1]

Counter arguments

Singular "they/them" is gaining acceptance within many scholarly circles and has already been in use for decades, and was previously in use centuries ago. It is actually the plural-only usage of the pronouns which has upset the grammatical balance. This is only an example of how language changes over time. Singular "they/them" is already a part of the natural evolution of the English language, and the change should be embraced, not stonewalled.[1]

Proponents

Premises

[P1] "They/them" is plural only, not singular.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Singular "they/them" is becoming more and more accepted by society and grammarians.

References

  1. https://time.com/5748649/word-of-year-they-merriam-webster/
This page was last edited on Wednesday, 25 Mar 2020 at 10:29 UTC

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