Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Abstract
The English language does not possess a third person epicene pronoun, and speakers must fill the gap, which they do most commonly with "they". Scholars understand the implications of a gender neutral pronoun for non-binary persons, but besides linguists, they do not thoroughly examine grammatical reasons for the resistance to new pronouns. This paper addresses the grammatical issues and options available to the language, including the strengths and weaknesses of "they." Even with minor faults, "they" is widely used in both spoken and written English and should be adopted by Standard English.
Faculty Advisor
Elizabeth Winkler
Recommended Citation
Grubber, Brittney, "Singular They: The Best Epicene Pronoun" (2017). Student Research Conference Select Presentations. Paper 45.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/sel_pres/45