We do indeed live in exciting times. Someday, you’ll be able to tell your grandchildren (or random teenagers at the bus stop) that you witnessed an extraordinary change in the grammar rules that govern certain English pronouns.

We do indeed live in exciting times. Someday, you’ll be able to tell your grandchildren (or random teenagers at the bus stop) that you witnessed an extraordinary change in the grammar rules that govern certain English pronouns. Well, maybe not extraordinary, but at least very impressive, and this month’s Conversation takes a deeper look with reports from three linguists. Geoff Nunberg’s NPR radio piece examines singular ‘they,’ while Dennis Baron’s Oxford University Press blog post presents a detailed history of generic ‘he.’ Richard Epstein’s Voice of America video shows a broader view of grammar rules in general. We suggest that you read/listen to/view all three pieces before you answer any of the questions.
QUESTIONS
1. It would be easy to assume that generic ‘he’ has always existed, but as Baron explains, its history is much shorter than one might think. Summarize Baron’s history of generic ‘he.’ How does he use that history in support of singular ‘they’? Is his argument persuasive? Why or why not?
2. Nunberg contends that all of us English speakers use singular ‘they,’ even if we aren’t aware of doing so, and he gives an example of singular ‘they’ from a book written by a grammarian who explicitly condemns its use. Pay attention to what you say and hear for a couple of days. Do you hear any examples of singular ‘they’ from surprising sources? Would you agree with Nunberg’s assertion that we all use singular ‘they’? Why or why not?
3. Certain grammar rules, such as some of the conventions for punctuation, make good sense because they facilitate comprehension and communication. Other rules may seem quite arbitrary and not very helpful. According to Epstein, grammar rules did not arise out of logic but rather “are based on social fashions, politics, and power.” He offers as examples the double negative and “ain’t.” Is it surprising to you that many of the grammar rules we follow today aren’t based in logic? Why or why not? Give one more example of a grammar rule that you learned in school that doesn’t really seem necessary or justified. Explain your reasoning.
4. Each of the three authors, in their own way, challenges what you probably learned in school about the unquestionable rightness of grammar rules. Which of the three authors gave you the most surprising information? Which gave you the most to think about? Why? Explain your responses. (Notice the singular ‘they’ in this question? )
5. As it has evolved, singular ‘they’ has come to have two distinct applications—first, it can refer to a person whose sex is unknown or irrelevant to the conversation (‘someone left their phone here’), and second, it can refer to a person who prefers not to be classified as ‘he’ or ‘she’ (‘Cory burned their tongue with the soup’). In their discussions of singular ‘they,’ how do Baron and Nunberg address these two applications? Do they mention both? Just one? If you wanted to persuade one of your instructors to permit students to use singular ‘they’ in course writing, which of the two essays would you choose to help back you up? (Just choose one.) Why?