• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

a question about: they or his/her?

How would you say?

  • Everybody likes his own home.

    Votes: 3 42.9%

  • Everybody likes her own home.

    Votes: 1 14.3%

  • Everybody likes her/his own home.

    Votes: 3 42.9%

  • Everybody likes their own home.

    Votes: 5 71.4%

  • All the people like their own homes.

    Votes: 3 42.9%
  • Total voters
    7
R

Rumpelstil

DP Veteran
Joined
Aug 10, 2019
Messages
43,111
Reaction score
9,316
Location
Schwarzwald = Black Forest
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Other
a question about: they or his/her?

How would you say:

Everybody likes his own home.
Everybody likes her own home.
Everybody likes her/his own home.
Everybody likes their own home.
All the people like their own homes.
 
It is a poll for that topic:


My Thoughts on Trans Pronoun Usage

As so often happens on this topic, and just recently in an other thread this morning, someone has again attempted to lecture me about the evils of using the “wrong” pronouns. They claim it is disrespectful. I disagree, because what I find even more disrespectful is to lie to someone, even if...
debatepolitics.com debatepolitics.com
 
Usually "they" but sometimes it is impossible to construct a sentence which makes that singular. And sometimes I want to make it plainer that <person> could be male or female, in which case "he/her".

Xe/Xer is the best, but I don't use it because it distracts from whatever point I'm trying to make.
 
I was taught to use "their" if the sex is unknown, even if it's referring to one person.. My parents, however, were taught to use "his" if it is unknown.

Old:
"Everybody likes his own home."

Now:
"Everybody likes their own home."

Future:
"Just go home and leave me alone."

( :) )
 
1. When I was young, the gender-neutral pronoun was "he."

2. Then the 1960s arrived with its many changes.

3. So we were urged to use the clumsy "he or she" or "s/he."

4. In fact, some decided to make "she" the gender-neutral pronoun.

5. Finally, it now appears that "They" is the gender-neutral pronoun: "Everyone must bring their book tomorrow to class."

6. Because I am so old (86), I simply cannot bring myself to pair "everyone" with "their."

a. So I simply say or write: "Everyone must bring his/her book."
b. Some people might say or write: "Students must bring their books."

For our guests who speak English as a second language, the "rule" today is very simple: "they" or "their" is the gender-neutral pronoun. If you want to show how strongly you support women's rights, you might even use "she" or "her" as the gender-neutral pronoun.

(I will skip the controversial usage for transgender people and -- above all -- for people who say they switch their genders depending on how they feel that day. I think that they are referred to as non-binary people.)
 
TheParser said:
1. When I was young, the gender-neutral pronoun was "he."
2. Then the 1960s arrived with its many changes.
3. So we were urged to use the clumsy "he or she" or "s/he."
4. In fact, some decided to make "she" the gender-neutral pronoun.
5. Finally, it now appears that "They" is the gender-neutral pronoun: "Everyone must bring their book tomorrow to class."
Click to expand...

(y)(y)
 
TheParser said:
b. Some people might say or write: "Students must bring their books."
Click to expand...
English speakers are lucky that they do not have to mention all the time whether one speaks of female students or male students or both.
In German on must say now:

Studenten und Studentinnen
or
Studentinnen und Studenten
or
Student/innen
or
Student:innen
or
Student*innen
or
Studentx
 
Rumpel said:
English speakers are lucky that they do not have to mention all the time whether one speaks of female students or male students or both.
In German on must say now:

Studenten und Studentinnen
or
Studentinnen und Studenten
or
Student/innen
or
Student:innen
or
Student*innen
or
Studentx
Click to expand...
Oh, yes.

I forgot that some languages are like that.

Many years ago, I even had the conceit that I could learn some Russian.

I quickly discovered that I could not.

English is relatively easy. Is that why it's the international language?

P.S. One "easy" thing about Chinese is that there is no conjugation of verbs. Let's say that the character (picture) means "to eat." Well, it also means "eats" and "ate" and "eating." You simply add other words to let your listener or reader know what tense you wish to express.


P.P.S. And if you really want to lose your mind, try to learn how to write Japanese!!!
 
TheParser said:
P.S. One "easy" thing about Chinese is that there is no conjugation of verbs. Let's say that the character (picture) means "to eat." Well, it also means "eats" and "ate" and "eating." You simply add other words to let your listener or reader know what tense you wish to express.


P.P.S. And if you really want to lose your mind, try to learn how to write Japanese!!!
Click to expand...
@ talking of languages

Once upon a time I learned some Arabic.
And I found it fascinating that the simple "you" comes in 2 forms: male and female :)
 
TheParser said:
Oh, yes.

I forgot that some languages are like that.
Click to expand...
Now I would like to create a poll about that business about male or female students.
I know that this is an English-speaking forum.
But nobody will be forced to write anything in German in that poll - just click onto the options.
Do you think that is allowed here?
 
Again:

English speakers are lucky that they do not have to mention all the time whether one speaks of female students or male students or both.
In German it is like this:

Student = male student - and the generic form - Plural: Studenten
Studentin = female student - Plural: Studentinnen

So you may choose:

Studenten und Studentinnen
or
Studentinnen und Studenten
or
Student/innen
or
Student:innen
or
Student*innen
or
Studentx

I think the meaning is clear. Which version(s) would you prefer?
 
There is the new poll now:

female students and male students - which grammatical forms would you use?

English speakers are lucky that they do not have to mention all the time whether one speaks of female students or male students or both. In German it is like this: Student = male student - and the generic form - Plural: Studenten Studentin = female student - Plural: Studentinnen So you may...
debatepolitics.com debatepolitics.com
 
Rumpel said:
Now I would like to create a poll about that business about male or female students.
I know that this is an English-speaking forum.
But nobody will be forced to write anything in German in that poll - just click onto the options.
Do you think that is allowed here?
Click to expand...
I do not know.
 
My English teacher told me to write for your reader.

If you are writing informally, and your reader doesn't care, or doesn't like "he" as the gender-neutral, then use "their".

OTOH, if you are writing a formal document like for an English writing class that must strictly adhere to the rules of grammar, then use "his".

If you are writing for both groups, then "his or her" is a good compromise.
 
Written Chinese uses "his" as the gender neutral and it doesn't even have an equivalent word for "their"

The written word for "he" is "他" and the word for "she" is "她". But the spoken words for both sound exactly the same, namely "tā". To further compound the madness, the word for "it" is also pronounced "tā".

Adding "的" ("de") after he or she makes it a possessive, eg "his" or "her"

And adding "们" ("men") after he or she pluralizes it.

So going back to the thread example:

His home -> 他的 家 ("tā de jiā")
Her home ->她的 家 ("tā de jiā")
Their home -> 他们的 家 ("tāmen de jiā") (note the masculine is used)
 
Rumpel said:
a question about: they or his/her?

How would you say:

Everybody likes his own home.
Everybody likes her own home.
Everybody likes her/his own home.
Everybody likes their own home.
All the people like their own homes.
Click to expand...

None of the above.

"People like their homes."

I still don't understand why people need to use "they" as a gender neutral singular pronoun, when we already have one: "it."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom