gender-neutral English pronoun

Singular they - Wikipedia
Singular they, along with its inflected or derivative forms, them, their, theirs, and themselves (also themself and theirself for nonstandard usage), is a gender-neutral third-person pronoun derived from plural they. It typically … Wikipedia
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Singular_they
Singular they - Wikipedia
2 weeks ago - Singular they, along with its inflected or derivative forms, them, their, theirs, and themselves (also themself and theirself for nonstandard usage), is a gender-neutral third-person pronoun derived from plural they. It typically occurs with an indeterminate antecedent, to refer to an unknown ...
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GrammarBook
grammarbook.com › grammar › pronoun.asp
Pronouns | Grammar Rules and Examples
To be consistent, it is a good practice to try to avoid they and its variants (e.g., them, their, themselves) with previously singular nouns or pronouns. Not consistent: Someone has to do it, and they have to do it well. The problem is that someone is singular, but they is plural. If we change they to he or she, we get a rather clumsy sentence, even if it is technically correct. Technically correct: Someone has to do it, and he or she has to do it well. Replacing an inconsistent sentence with a poorly written one is a bad bargain.
People also ask

What are the meanings of there, their, and they’re?
As homonyms, the words there, their, and they’re are all pronounced exactly the same but have different and distinct meanings. There means “at that place” and is used to talk about a specific location. Their indicates ownership and is the possessive form of they. Finally, they’re means they are and is a contraction similar to you’re for you are.
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grammarly.com
grammarly.com › blog › commonly-confused-words › there-their-theyre
“There” vs. “Their” vs. “They’re”: What’s the ...
Example of there, their, and they’re
There isn’t enough room for the suitcases. Their suitcases are too big. They’re leaving the suitcases at home.
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grammarly.com
grammarly.com › blog › commonly-confused-words › there-their-theyre
“There” vs. “Their” vs. “They’re”: What’s the ...
When should you use there, their, and they’re?
If you are introducing a sentence or talking about a certain location, the correct word is there. If you are describing a noun that is owned by someone, the correct word is their, which is the third-person possessive form of they. Lastly, if you want to make the two words they and are into one contraction, they’re is a simpler, shorter version.
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grammarly.com
grammarly.com › blog › commonly-confused-words › there-their-theyre
“There” vs. “Their” vs. “They’re”: What’s the ...
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Purdue OWL
owl.purdue.edu › owl › general_writing › grammar › pronouns › gendered_pronouns_and_singular_they.html
Gendered Pronouns & Singular “They” - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University
The alternative pronoun most commonly used is they, often referred to as singular they. Here’s an example: Someone left his or her backpack behind. → Someone left their backpack behind. Since we don’t know the gender of the person who left their backpack behind, we use they to include all genders as possibilities for that mystery person. In addition to being respectful of people of all genders, this makes the sentence shorter and easier to say.
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Grammarly
grammarly.com › blog › commonly-confused-words › there-their-theyre
“There” vs. “Their” vs. “They’re”: What’s the Difference? | Grammarly
June 23, 2023 - This reminder of possession or ownership can help you remember that their is a possessive pronoun. They’re has an apostrophe, indicating that it is a contraction of two separate words.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/grammar › their
r/grammar on Reddit: Their
August 9, 2023 -

Each of the horses has their own food formula, which is carefully worked out by a dietician.

Why is their in this sentence incorrect? Probably just missing something easy.

Top answer
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"Their" is not incorrect there, because "their" can be used to refer to a single person/animal of unknown/irrelevant gender. However, some style guides/tests/teachers do not accept the use of singular "they" and the associated forms (even though they've been in use for almost 700 years). Whoever is saying "their" is incorrect there will want you to use "its" (one of the 3rd person singular possessives): "Each of the horses has its own food formula." Although "each of" is always followed by a plural noun phrase, it generally takes a singular verb form (note "has") and singular pronouns. However, as mentioned, it is perfectly acceptable to use "they/them/their/theirs" as singular pronouns: https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/25/677177 The use of singular "they" to refer to a person who uses gender-neutral pronouns is more recent, but no less correct.
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So, I think the point here is that "Each of the horses" is a singular subject - the subject is the singular "each," not the plural "horses." But the sentence is fine & correct in colloquial English because "they" is the standard third-person pronoun when you don't know the gender of a person (or animal). I would guess they want you to say "its" instead of "their" to indicate the singular form. But generally in English we call animals he or she, not "it," especially if the animal is a pet or companion. ETA sorry I thought I was in r/EnglishLearning where these questions are usually asked by non-native speakers
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Homework.Study.com
homework.study.com › explanation › is-their-a-pronoun.html
Is 'their' a pronoun? | Homework.Study.com
The words 'he', 'she', 'they', ... View this answer · While the word 'their' has similarities with the word 'they', which is a pronoun, 'their' does not act as a pronoun....
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APA Style
apastyle.apa.org › blog › singular-they
Welcome, singular “they”
It’s not the only third-person ... your life. Here is an example: A person should enjoy their vacation. The noun in this sentence is “person,” and the pronoun is “their.”...
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EF
ef.com › wwen › english-resources › english-grammar › pronouns
Pronouns | EF Global Site (English)
Possessive pronouns replace possessive nouns as either the subject or the object of a clause. Because the noun being replaced doesn't appear in the sentence, it must be clear from the context. This bag is mine. Yours is not blue. That bag looks like his. These shoes are not hers. That car is ours. Theirs is parked in the garage.
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University of Lynchburg
lynchburg.edu › home › academics › academic offices and services › alton l. wilmer writing center › grammar › pronouns
Pronouns | University of Lynchburg
February 19, 2025 - Use the pronoun “their” for one or multiple subjects of whose gender is unknown or for a subject whose preferred pronouns are they/them. For sentences that feature compound subjects (more than one subject), separate the two subjects to determine ...
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SAC
sac.edu › AcademicProgs › HSS › LearningCenter › SiteAssets › Pages › Automated-Citation-Websites › EDIT 068_pronoun_usage.pdf pdf
Pronoun Usage Grammar Handout 068 (April 2013; ASC Eng/Read) Page 1
Demonstrative pronouns are either singular or plural. ... This book is hers. That is a big spider. Plural: These books are theirs. Those spiders are huge. However, some indefinite pronouns are always singular, some are always plural, and some may be
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Langeek
langeek.co › home › grammar › grammar faq › they vs. their
"They" vs. "Their" in the English Grammar | LanGeek
2 weeks ago - 'They' and 'their' are both third-person plural personal pronouns. But one of them is a subject pronoun and the other is considered a determiner.
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Ginger Software
gingersoftware.com › content › grammar-rules › pronouns-2
English Grammar Rules - Pronouns
A good trick for remembering the ... you see that (one)? Those (ones) belong to Danny. Possessive pronouns – those designating possession or ownership. Examples include: mine, its, hers, his, yours, ours, theirs, whose....
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Scribbr
scribbr.com › home › what is a pronoun? | definition, types & examples
What Is a Pronoun? | Definition, Types & Examples
September 5, 2024 - Like nouns, pronouns commonly serve as the subject of a sentence, followed by a verb (a word expressing an action). Examples: Pronouns as subjectsI like to play chess. We have never been to Germany before. It is difficult to stay calm in stressful situations.
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St. Petersburg College
spcollege.libguides.com › gum › pronouns
Pronouns - Basic Grammar and Punctuation - LibGuides at St. Petersburg College
They, them, and theirs are all pronouns that can be used as either singular or plural. ... Since pronouns stand in place of a noun, it must be clear which antecedent you are referring to. ... James told Mike his bike had been stolen. (Whose bike was stolen?) She put her lunch and purse on the ...
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Grammarly
grammarly.com › blog › parts-of-speech › pronouns
What Is a Pronoun? Definition, Types & Examples | Grammarly
January 16, 2024 - If you’re using a pronoun as an object but it refers to an antecedent that is not the subject of the sentence or clause, you use an object pronoun instead: He asked myself to go for a bike ride. He asked me to go for a bike ride. I had promised myself I would accept more invitations. Intensive pronouns look the same as reflexive pronouns, but their purpose is different.
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Merriam-Webster
merriam-webster.com › dictionary › pronoun
PRONOUN Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of PRONOUN is any of a small set of words (such as I, she, he, you, it, we, or they) in a language that are used as substitutes for nouns or noun phrases and whose referents are named or understood in the context. How to use pronoun in a sentence. What is a pronoun?
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University of Houston-Victoria
uhv.edu › curriculum-student-achievement › student-success › student-resources › e-p › pronouns
Pronouns - University of Houston-Victoria
Note: For the pronouns that can be both singular and plural, their number depends on the noun they refer to: More of the students leave early this semester. (plural) None of his cereal was finished. (singular) On a final note with these pronouns, consider the placement. If the pronoun is included immediately before a noun (i.e. All dogs go to heaven.), then the pronoun acts as an adjective. The verb of the sentence must agree with the noun that is its subject (dogs).
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Langeek
langeek.co › home › grammar › theirs
The Pronoun "Theirs" in the English Grammar | LanGeek
2 days ago - Theirs is the possessive pronoun of they, and it is third-person plural.
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Grammar Monster
grammar-monster.com › lessons › his_her_their_they_singular_plural.htm
"He/She" or "They"? "His/her" or "Their"?
June 12, 2023 - (If you can make your whole sentence plural, then the problem goes away. This is a tidy option.) (Option 2) Use a singular "their." Each team leader is responsible for their team. They must report to the race marshal by 9 o'clock.