pronoun-antecedent
pronoun-antecedent

... collective nouns, such as audience, class, army, jury, family, team, and herd, usually take the SINGULAR verb (is/was) and SINGULAR pronoun (its); however, when the members of these groups act separately, then such collective nouns are PLURAL; HINT: If the word individual (or its adverb form with an ...
Singular Plural
Singular Plural

... Bacon and eggs __________ my favorite breakfast. 6. When subjects are joined by ______ or ______, the verb agrees with the subject ____________ to the __________. The manager or the employees __________ to close the store early. The employees or the manager __________ to close the store early. 7. Wa ...

Singular they

Singular they is the use in English of the pronoun they, or its inflected or derivative forms, such as them, their, or themselves, as a ""pronoun that is neutral between masculine and feminine"", to refer to a single person or an antecedent that is grammatically singular. It typically occurs with an antecedent of indeterminate gender, as in sentences such as: ""Everyone returned to their seats."" ""Somebody left their umbrella in the office. Would they please collect it?"" ""The patient should be told at the outset how much they will be required to pay."" ""But a journalist should not be forced to reveal their sources.""A reason for its use is that English has no dedicated singular personal pronoun of indeterminate gender.In some cases, its use can be explained by notional agreement because words like ""everyone"", though singular in form, are plural in meaning.Its use in formal English has increased in recent times with the trend toward gender-inclusive language, but it has been used by respected writers for centuries.Though singular they has a long history of usage and is common in everyday English, its use has been criticized since the late nineteenth century, and acceptance varies.