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<blockquote data-quote="Cadence" data-source="post: 8292911" data-attributes="member: 6701124">I'd certainly believe most readers take he as male. (Is it similar with old in French for the entire group?).&nbsp; But I'm guessing a lot of writers were taught to use &quot;he&quot; in the unspecified or generic third person singular.&nbsp; Do you know if the studies look at just what the readers were thinking or also what writers under that rule were thinking? (Does the writer in French describing a mixed group with ils&nbsp; have a different view of the group than the reader who doesn't know it was mixed?). Do you know when &quot;he or she&quot; or &quot;he/she&quot; started showing up in the style guides for the first time? (My googling failed me). As far as singular they, I can't think of a time where I was unsure if it was singular or plural based on the surrounding and where it mattered.&nbsp; I'm sure it happens though and know it annoys some people. Even he and she run into trouble sometimes when the writer doesn't make it clear when there are multiple male or female members in the scene to pick from.&nbsp; Compares to some alternatives, singular they at least has a pedigree and is probably&nbsp; used in some cases even by most of those who claim never to.&nbsp; (Knock at the door and other person in house goes to answer.&nbsp; &quot;Who was that?&quot; &quot;Neighbor kid.&quot; &quot;What did they want?&quot;).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Cadence, post: 8292911, member: 6701124"] I'd certainly believe most readers take he as male. (Is it similar with old in French for the entire group?). But I'm guessing a lot of writers were taught to use "he" in the unspecified or generic third person singular. Do you know if the studies look at just what the readers were thinking or also what writers under that rule were thinking? (Does the writer in French describing a mixed group with ils have a different view of the group than the reader who doesn't know it was mixed?). Do you know when "he or she" or "he/she" started showing up in the style guides for the first time? (My googling failed me). As far as singular they, I can't think of a time where I was unsure if it was singular or plural based on the surrounding and where it mattered. I'm sure it happens though and know it annoys some people. Even he and she run into trouble sometimes when the writer doesn't make it clear when there are multiple male or female members in the scene to pick from. Compares to some alternatives, singular they at least has a pedigree and is probably used in some cases even by most of those who claim never to. (Knock at the door and other person in house goes to answer. "Who was that?" "Neighbor kid." "What did they want?"). [/QUOTE]

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