Can ‘they’ be used for a singular person?
Can ‘they’ be used for a singular person?
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1 Answer
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Yes, they can be used for a singular person, and this usage is both grammatically correct and widely accepted in Modern English. Known as singular 'they', it is commonly used when the gender of a person is unknown, irrelevant, or when referring to someone who identifies as non-binary.
Singular 'they' has been used by well-known authors like Shakespeare and Jan Austen in their works. It helps avoid awkward or gendered language and has become a practical choice in both spoken and written English.
Example: Someone left their phone on the table.
Similar Questions for you
Pronouns are generally used after the first sentence, or after the first instance of Noun. Once the Noun is stated or the subject is introduced, Pronouns can be used as a substitute of the Noun. For example, Riya studies in Class 6. Her favourite subject is History. Here, the Pronoun 'Her' is used in the second sentence as a substitute to the Proper Noun, which is Riya.

Yes, personal pronouns are commonly asked questions in competitive exams, especially in English language and grammar sections. These pronouns test a candidate's understanding of subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, and the correct use of subjective, objective, possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives cases.
The types of questions asked in the examinations may include fill-in-the-blanks, error detection, sentence correction, or identifying correct usage. Thus, when studying for competitive exams, students must go through personal pronouns thoroughly.
Personal pronouns play a vital role in formal English as they:
- Help in usage of correct case (eg – He is taller than I -not me.)
- Avoid ambiguity and repetition
- Maintain consistency in number and person
Yes, a sentence can start with a personal pronoun. Many sentences begin with personal pronouns like I, we, she, he, they etc., especially when the pronoun is acting as the subject of the sentence.
Examples:
- I went to the market.
- He is going to watch a movie.
- She is going for her dance lesson.
Personal pronouns and possessive adjectives are closely related, but they serve different grammatical roles in a sentence. Possessive pronouns replace a noun, for example: This book is mine, whereas possessive adjectives comes before a noun, example: This is my book.
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