![]() ![]() This should be enough to keep it in place. ![]() The first comment is on topic and does not make any personal attacks. Liberman, which my autocorrect just tried to turn into Li Berman, doesn't need my advice, but I hate onesided discussions). I'm with Rod Johnson on this one.įWIW, I do not recommend deleting the first comment (I am sure Prof. January 17, 10:48 C: I find that parenthesized "n" to be kind of cumbersome. And I suspect the origin of the original usage of they in the singular may have been less deliberate that the original usage of singular you. It's use has been extended recently, true, but it's nonetheless not new. I was distracted by "a (appropriate) decision" in Mark's text, which inuitively felt like it should be "an." What to do about parenthetical words that would trigger such differences? Let the form of the article be governed by the noun it modifies or the prosodically adjacent word? For me it's clearly the latter.Ĭervantes, surely, as a reader of language long, you have come across the fact that singular they is really old. To the topic: all the English-speaking people in my experience who need to use "they" as a singular pronoun conjugate it grammatically i.e., as if it were plural. So? Singular "you" was also introduced deliberately (by people who felt "thou" was too impolite), and it has the same grammatical function as "thou". It has the same grammatical function as he or she. Singular "they" was introduced deliberately. Usually, they gets plural verb agreement no matter if it refers to a single person. No, why? The quotes are an example of how it's not usually done. It has the same grammatical function as he or she.Īnd still you thinks this are a form of language that peoples is going to feel normal because it are natural and not a conlang feature? This situation is sui generis, in that singular "they" was introduced deliberately. January 17, 8:46 have another singular pronoun that uses the plural form of the verb (for the same reason) you wouldn't say "you sneezes" would you Well, if you're going to construe "they" as singular, then "they sneezes" is correct. It is so ridiculous it doesn’t warrant a rebuttal, or a place on language log. Please delete the moronic troll comment above. Filed by Mark Liberman under Language and culture, PronounsĪnd still you thinks this are a form of language that peoples is going to feel normal because it are natural and not a conlang feature? Wasting their mental resources on this instead of fighting the actual rape of women and killing of gay people in many corners of out world? Sorry: Gays.).What did the child do that was risky? What should they have done instead? They wipes his hands after with a handkerchief then goes to class. ![]() They sneezes and covers it with his hand. ![]()
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