Singular “they”

When to use the singular “they”

If you do not know the gender of a person you refer to, when the gender is irrelevant, or when somebody identifies as nonbinary, use “they” instead of “she” or “he”.

The use of they for referents whose gender we do not know or whose gender is unimportant dates back centuries. Here are some examples from the Cambridge Dictionary ELT blog:

• Everyone needs to bring their laptop to class tomorrow.
• I didn’t see the person who stole my wallet. They reached into backpack and ran away.
• The teacher should expect students to contact them with questions after class.

The use of they as a person’s self-identified pronoun is a more recent development.

• Casey is a gender-fluid person. They are from Texas and enjoy tacos.

How to use the singular “they” in a sentence

We use forms of the singular they with a plural form of the verb. The APA style guide says that both themselves and themself are acceptable as singular pronouns, but themselves is more common.

Below you can find examples from the APA style and grammar guidelines for all forms of the singular they. Fill out the gaps and then check the answer key.

1. Each child played with ____ parent.

2. The cup of coffee is ____.

3. Casey is a gender-fluid person. ____ are from Texas and enjoy tacos.

4. A private person usually keeps to ____.

5. Every client got a care package delivered to ____.

Sources

Caplan, N. (2020, November 16). Singular “they”: Teaching a changing language. World of Better Learning. https://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2020/11/16/singular-they-teaching-a-changing-language/

Singular “They.” (2016, June 24). Merriam-Webster Wordplay. https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/singular-nonbinary-they

Singular “They.” (2019, September). APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/grammar/singular-they

Answer key

1. their, 2. theirs, 3. they, 4. themselves / themself, 5. them