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Group: Members
Posts: 6,326
Joined: 20-July 10
From: Wash Common
Member No.: 1,011
QUOTE (JeffG @ Nov 12 2011, 07:39 PM)
It's not actually. It's a recent politically correct fudge to avoid saying 'he' when the gender is unknown.
According to Wikipedia, singular they has been used as a gender-neutral third person pronound since the 14th century. Gramatically it was used perfectly correctly, and as it's presumptious to assume User's gender its use was completely appropriate here. And even if it weren't, there was no need to call the grammar-police.
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Right an injustice - give Simon Kirby his allotment back!
Group: Members
Posts: 8
Joined: 16-May 09
From: Thatcham
Member No.: 67
QUOTE (JeffG @ Nov 12 2011, 08:39 PM)
It's not actually. It's a recent politically correct fudge to avoid saying 'he' when the gender is unknown.
I'm afraid that's where you're wrong. It's the correct way (as I was taught in grammar school in 1966) to refer to someone where the gender is not known.
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-- A Wulfrunian in exile.
A Wulfrunian is a native of the city of Wolverhampton