1. maintenance man

    maintenance man New Member

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    Correct usage of plural nouns.

    Discussion in 'Word Mechanics' started by maintenance man, Oct 9, 2012.

    Hi to all
    I was wondering if someone could answer my question from this sample sentence from an essay I have wrote for English comp one. Just like there are many flavors and colors, people have different opinions of what they like or dislike when he or she reads a book, magazine, newspaper, or essay. I would like to know if I am using the proper plural nouns by using people, they, and he or she. Thank you all for your help.
     
  2. lachesis77

    lachesis77 New Member

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    "They" is correct, while "he or she" is not. If you're going to use a plural noun like "people", you need to use third-person plural pronouns in your sentence when referring to that same noun.
     
  3. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    You are mixing number (singular vs plural) within the same sentence to refer to the same subject. Not okay.
     
  4. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    ditto what lachesis and cog had to say on the subject at hand...
     
  5. digitig

    digitig Contributor Contributor

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    As others have said: "people" = plural, "they" = plural, "he or she" = singular. The "he or she" should be "they" again.

    You might have been confused by the fact that "they" has long also been used as a singular pronoun for a person of unspecified gender, although some regard that usage as an error. That's excluded in this case, though, because "people" is definitely plural.
     

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