FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · 4 months agoThe singular they is actually such a natural part of the English language, the people complaining about it almost certainly use it without noticingmessage-squaremessage-square6linkfedilinkarrow-up10arrow-down10
arrow-up10arrow-down1message-squareThe singular they is actually such a natural part of the English language, the people complaining about it almost certainly use it without noticingFreshParsnip@lemmy.ca to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · 4 months agomessage-square6linkfedilink
minus-squareFishFace@piefed.sociallinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up0·4 months agoTo me it’s quite unnatural to use singular they about someone whose gender I actually know.
minus-square🔍🦘🛎@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up0·4 months ago“There’s someone at the door” “what does he or she want?” -nobody
minus-squareDiddlydee@feddit.uklinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up0·4 months agoYou’d realistically say ‘who is it?’
minus-square🔍🦘🛎@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up0·4 months ago“There’s someone from the water department here” “What do they want?” If you’re going to make any statement referring to the person, using “they” is both natural and understood by anyone.
To me it’s quite unnatural to use singular they about someone whose gender I actually know.
“There’s someone at the door”
“what does he or she want?” -nobody
You’d realistically say ‘who is it?’
“There’s someone from the water department here”
“What do they want?”
If you’re going to make any statement referring to the person, using “they” is both natural and understood by anyone.