Andy's preferred pronoun is "they". They goes to school in Denver, where they studies philosophy.
or
Andy's preferred pronoun is "they". They go to school in Denver, where they study philosophy.
Also, should Andy refer to himself as "I" or "we"?
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1Does this answer your question? Is there a correct gender-neutral singular pronoun ("his" vs. "her" vs. "their")? // This question Subject verb agreement when using singular 'they'? was closed as a duplicate, ie as having an answer in the earlier thread.– Edwin AshworthCommented Feb 19, 2020 at 19:05
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The subject-case personal pronouns we, you, and they are by definition plural, and so too are the verbs they all govern.– tchrist ♦Commented Feb 19, 2020 at 20:44
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@EdwinAshworth Only the second question is the same, but it's marked duplicate too.– MWBCommented Feb 19, 2020 at 21:57
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@MaxB The point here is that this question has been addressed before in at least one thread (and is thus a duplicate). I'm not happy with earlier duplication claims; if they bother you, please address the issue in the relevant threads. Questions often have inappropriate names.– Edwin AshworthCommented Feb 20, 2020 at 11:52
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1I asked a question; how can I be wrong? // Try Why isn't singular they used with 3rd person singular verb-forms?. It really does get tedious having to search out all the same old stuff. It makes you wonder how many people actually bother to look before they ask (a search for 'singular they' would turn up a lot of these).– Edwin AshworthCommented Feb 20, 2020 at 19:57
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2 Answers
If you use singular "they," you have a singular antecedent, but it's appropriate to use plural verb forms (just the same as you would with plural "they"). So your second sentence is correct.
You should also use the same inflected forms as plural "they" (them, their, and theirs). The one possible exception is in the reflexive form. For that form the word "themself" is sometimes used.
Since the word "I" carries no gender (unlike "he" and "she"), there's no reason for Andy not to refer to themselves (or themself) as "I."
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1There's good precedent for using plural forms for a pronoun with a singular antecedent. The word "you" can now be used for a singular antecedent. ("Andy, you need to go to the store.") However, "you" was originally only plural (along with "ye"). In the 14th century "you" and "ye" started their shift toward singular, and that shift is now complete. However, we still use singular verbs with "you." (We don't use the singular "needs" in my sentence above: *"Andy, you needs to go to the store.") Commented Feb 19, 2020 at 18:15
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Please be aware that more obvious questions are likely to have been asked and answered before on ELU. This is certainly the case here. Also, authoritative references, linked and attributed, are expected. Commented Feb 19, 2020 at 19:08
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Nope; I'm saying "they go" is correct. Sorry if my answer wasn't clear. Commented Feb 19, 2020 at 21:17
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The preferred pronoun situation is you telling someone else how to talk about you. It is not about you talking about yourself in the first person.
So, a preferred pronoun can be: he, she, or they. (There are others which some people accept but these are the most common).
he= a male gender identity
she = a female gender identity
they= no gender identity is specified, singular, verb in the plural form
So, talking about Andy could be done three ways:
- They go to school in Denver where they study philosophy. [unmarked as male or female]
- He goes to school in Denver where he studies philosophy. [marked as male]
- She goes to school in Denver where she studies philosophy. [marked as female
Obviously, none of this applies to the first person:
- I go to school in Denver where I study philosophy.
The last sentence is irrelevant to the choice of preferred pronoun.
Another subject entirely, is using a plural pronoun with a singular subject such as:
- Every child must bring his own towel.
That usage is grammatical in English and has been for ages and ages.
They is singular when used as a preferred pronoun for a single person but the verb must be in the plural.
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You are aware that more obvious questions are likely to have been asked and answered before on ELU. This is certainly the case here. Also, authoritative references, linked and attributed, are expected. Commented Feb 19, 2020 at 19:09
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'Attributing' means 'mentioning Wikipedia' (or whatever) in a hotlink, in the answer/question. It's a legal requirement to avoid copyright infringements. Commented Feb 19, 2020 at 19:47
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So the answer has no authoritative reference (quoted material) and is essentially what was said over 9 years ago. Commented Feb 19, 2020 at 20:04
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People can use their own words to explain things and provide a reference. That how papers and lots of things are written. I repeat: No, those links you provide do not specifically explain what the OP did not understand. Please stop being a hound dog.– LambieCommented Feb 19, 2020 at 20:11