Can't speak for anyone else, but it definitely went somewhere for me. Specifically, it went away, once it became clear that the proponents of singular use of plural pronouns weren't actually talking about grammar but were instead talking about ideology. I can go around and around on grammar, but faith and politics? No thanks.
I mean, for some of us, challenging the assumed objectivity of dominant worldviews isn't a matter of the politics bugbear, but of basic human decency, but whatever. Us humanities students get undue crap flung at us.
Anyhow, I'm home. I have the brick on my desk that's giving me nightmares. The brick with the giant number 17 on the cover.
Section 5.48 of the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style discourages use of the singular "they" in formal writing except when used in reference to a person who does not identify with a gender specific pronoun.
Section 5.252: "Either approach [use of generic
he vs. use of
he/she and/or singular
they] sacrifices credibility with some readers."
Section 5.255 gives a nine item list of techniques to achieve gender neutrality in generic reference. The abridged list:
1. Omit the pronoun.
2. Repeat the noun.
3. Use a plural antecedent.
4. Use an article instead of a pronoun.
5. Use the singular pronoun
one.
6. Use the relative pronoun
who.
7. Use the imperative mood.
8. In moderation, use
he or she.
9. Revise the sentence
Do you have the latest edition of APA or MLA for comparison and contrast as to their approach?
