“They”
in Writing
I
You
He,
she, it
We
You
(plural)
They
(plural)
They
can be referred to a person who is insignificant, the name is unknown, or the
gender is unknown.
Oxford
says:
People, animals or things that have already
been mentioned or are easily identified.
Used instead of he or she to refer to a person whose sex is not
mentioned or not known.
When
not referring to personal gender preferences, the use of they also tends to
confuse authors as much as when to use a comma.
When
learning the English language, there are always quirky moments. For example:
Each
person in the chorus had a solo…they stepped forward to shine in the spotlight.
They
refers to a singular ‘unknown’ of each choral member, and it also refers to the
chorus as a whole. Much easier than saying he, she, or each member. Or, the
author could have said ‘each stepped forward’.
Using
pronouns in narration shouldn’t be vague when referring to a known or unknown
character in a sentence, clause, or paragraph. Ambiguous statements result from
creating sentences without anticipating issues that may occur in narration or
dialogue.
They
must be used in a clear statement to one antecedent. It avoids uncertainty for
the story, and the reader. The constant use of he, he, he or she, she, she
becomes redundant in writing, and can cause issues when there is more than one
person involved in the scene. Adding a proper noun or noun can also alleviate
confusion.
Compare:
The
supernatural whispers echoed, warning her with ghostly heavy footfalls of those
who were haunted. They ravaged and despoiled with no conscience. They wrought
their anger until it became a disease spreading uncontrollably. There came
moments when they refused to be pushed any farther and struck back.
The
supernatural whispers echoed, warning Thalia with ghostly heavy footfalls of
those who were haunted. They ravaged and despoiled with no conscience. The
specters wrought their anger until it became a disease spreading
uncontrollably. There came moments when the victims refused to be pushed any
farther and struck back.
Precise
identification prevents misunderstanding.
Not
just ‘they’, but them, it, him, her, and you can also be confusing if not
applied clearly in a sentence or paragraph.
Many
authors confuse indefinite pronouns with the use of they. They isn’t an
indefinite pronoun. Indefinite pronouns rarely have antecedents. An example of
indefinite pronouns: everyone, either, somebody, anything, etc.
Keeping
pronouns in agreement with number, person, and gender with its antecedent will
keep the passage clear for the reader. Lack of conformity is confusing.
Not
sure? Block out the word or phrase and change the pronoun if needed.
Janet,
like many people, don’t know how to trim their trees.
Take
out ‘like many people’.
Janet
don’t know how to trim their trees.
Nope.
I know you see it!
Janet
doesn’t know how to trim her trees.
Janet,
like many people, doesn’t know how to trim her trees.
They,
like Janet, doesn’t know how to trim her trees.
Remove
‘like Janet’.
They
doesn’t know how to trim her trees.
And
you say, no, no, no!
They
don’t know how to trim their trees.
They,
like Janet, don’t know how to trim their trees
I
hope this helps. I’ve heard rumors about how grammar is changing. It’s not.
Writing styles are changing. Grammar will always be solid. Just like 1 + 1 =
11, oh wait, I mean 1 + 1 = 2.
Perhaps,
we can tackle the comma killers again?
This book’s for you. My whole point of writing it is to help all authors. I’ve had many established authors, aspiring authors, and WIP authors ask me a multitude of questions and I was more than happy to help. (WIP-work in progress) I took the most commonly asked questions and solutions and put them in a nifty, absolutely priceless book.
What you’ll find in Be More Successful with Marketing and AdvertiZING:
Social Media Marketing and AdvertiZING for Books or Any Business
Becoming a Bestseller
Saying NO and Being the Bad Guy
How to Write Incredible Click Enticing Promotions
Promoting Your Book With or Without a Publisher
How Much is That Advertisement in the Window?
Self-publishing Doesn’t Have to be a Disaster
How to Make Your Website Awesome
Taking the Plunge into Publishing Audio Books
How to Make More Sales at Book Signings
The Uniform of Success
Purchase Be More Successful with Marketing and AdvertiZING at your favorite bookstore or on Amazon.
E-Book $4.99
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Thank you for taking the time to read this.
You can find me:
Amazon.com/Pamela-Ackerson/e/B00QY1ARI4
Wondering what my qualifications are? Don't want to get any advice from someone who doesn't know what they're talking about? I understand! There are too many people out there giving bad advice.
The first thing I'm going to tell you is that the book industry is constantly changing and even the "experts" have to keep their ears to the ground to stay in the game!
Okay, so...Here goes.
I'm President of Marketing and Advertising for AdC Magazine. Affaire de Coeur Book Review Magazine has been in business since 1980. No small potatoes there! We've managed to survive all the ups and downs in the industry. www.adcmagazine.com
I'm an award-winning, Wall Street Journal, Amazon and Barnes and Noble bestselling author. I've been a published author since 1972. Yup, you read that right. My 10th grade high school teacher entered my sci-fi short story in the Science Fiction Reader's Digest Contest and I took first place. I continued to write and publish short stories for several years after that.
A short break--which felt like forever--in 1996 I finished my first novel. I was picked up by a publisher two years later and I haven't stopped since.
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