Generic Antecedent - Approaches Taken in English

Approaches Taken in English

Speakers of all languages use words both to make distinctions and to generalize:

• Example of distinction: My mother thinks…, but my father says....
• Example of generalization: Parents believe....
• Example of generalization: Any parent believes....

What has become controversial among users of English is the choice of pronoun to refer back to a generalized, and hence generic, singular antecedent such as any parent, or every parent. In contrast, since plural generic antecedents such as parents must be referred to by the plural pronoun they, and since in English they is gender-unspecific, no controversy arises for a plural generic antecedent. Examples of accepted, disputed, and impossible constructions in English include:

• All people get hungry, so they eat. Acceptable (All people is plural.)
• All people get hungry, so she eats. Incorrect (different meaning from first sentence)
• Each one gets thirsty, so he drinks. Disputed (Is he generic, or are all members of the group male?)
• Each one gets thirsty, so they drink. Disputed by some, but long in use (by Shakespeare, for example); condemned by some older sources, such as The Elements of Style, but endorsed by The Chicago Manual of Style and most modern style guides.
• Each one gets thirsty, so he or she drinks—Awkward (especially if used repeatedly) and recommended against by the Chicago Manual of Style, et al.
• When a person is tired, she sleeps. Disputed (Is she specific or generic?)
• When a person is tired, it sleeps. Incorrect (Pronouns for objects cannot be used to describe people.)

English guidelines before the 1980s supported the use of he as a singular pronoun that can refer to both men and women (generic usage). Use of the generic he, however, has been decreasing since the 1960s.

Many recent style guides discourage generic constructions or accept approaches other than the generic he. Some writers prefer to alternate between male and female generic usage to provide clarity without the appearance of bias. Other speakers intentionally use female generic forms as a political or cultural statement against the conventional practice of generic use of the masculine form. A study of English language usage over the past twenty years shows that they is now the most common way that modern speakers and writers refer back to generic antecedents.