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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > everybody / his / their
everybody / his / their
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steph30
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everybody / his / their
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hi !
I �m a bit confused..Would you say " everybody changes his computer every two years." or "everybody changes their computer every two years"
thanks a lot ;)
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16 Mar 2011
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Lidia B.
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"Everybody changes his computer every two years." is correct.
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16 Mar 2011
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Lidia B.
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I was sure we must use their in this sentence, but my friend, who comes from England, told me I must us his.
Now I �m a bit confused too.
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16 Mar 2011
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Lidia B.
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Sorry for the mistake.... I �d write " I must use his".
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16 Mar 2011
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amyi
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Hello there, I �m a native speaker and I would say �their �. I can �t explain why though, I �m afraid! |
16 Mar 2011
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Tim Wallace
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originally "his" would have been the correct usage. However, since the push for gender-neutral language "their" is the more common usage, at least in the last 20 years. The problem is that, as you �ve pointed out, "their" is plural but despite that it is now used in preference to "his". The other option which is possibly more technically correct is "his or her" but that �s so awkward hardly anyone says it. But you can see that from "his or her", suggesting two options, that the plural form of "their" now makes sense.
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16 Mar 2011
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bertasdemir
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I suppose, to avoid sex discrimination we should use "their" instad of his/her |
16 Mar 2011
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almaz
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Also, �every� + singular noun is sometimes referred to as a notional plurality, so it would take �their � without a problem. For more in-depth info, check Merriam_Webster �s online version of their Dictionary of English Usage here (p. 901 in the hard copy).
By the way, M-WDEU gives a good example of how insistence on the masculine singular can be "downright silly": ...everyone will be able to decide for himself whether or not to have an abortion.
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16 Mar 2011
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