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Mixing Singular and Plural in a Sentence – Weigh In

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by Barbara McNichol

Grammatically speaking, disagreements show up in writing constantly. Some sources including Associated Press (AP) style guide give the green light to using one disagreement: the plural pronoun “they” with a singular noun. A recent AP statement noted:

They, them, their … In stories about people who identify as neither male nor female or ask not to be referred to as he/she/him/her: Use the person’s name in place of a pronoun, or otherwise reword the sentence, whenever possible. If they/them/their use is essential, explain in the text that the person prefers a gender-neutral pronoun. Be sure that the phrasing does not imply more than one person …:

Grammarians ask why would this be necessary? Doesn’t correctness matter above all else—especially when easy fixes are available?

Consider these noun/pronoun disagreements and the ways to correct them:

Noun/pronoun use that doesn’t agree:

“We want the school board to do their job.”

Revised to create agreement:

“We want the school board to do its job.”
“We want school board members to do their jobs.”

Noun/pronoun use that doesn’t agree:

“Your reader can peruse your book at their leisure.”

Revised to make them agree:

“Your readers can peruse your book at their leisure.”
“Your reader can peruse your book at his or her leisure.”

To keep agreements in place, apply these suggestions:

  • State the person’s name or write “This person ….” instead of a pronoun.
  • If the gender is unknown, using “his or her” or “he or she” or “s/he” works fine.
  • Change singular to plural in a sentence. However, if plural doesn’t cut it, alternate the use of “he” and “she” in a section when the subject changes. In a book I recently edited about raising a baby, the author applied this technique beautifully.

Do you agree or disagree with my conclusions? Please weigh in. Given our changing language, would you side with AP’s suggestion or my advice to put accuracy first in your writing? Share your opinion below.

Bonus: Request an explanatory Pronoun Use Chart so you can see at a glance which pronouns to use where in a sentence.

Common Grammar Miscues that Undermine Good Writing

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by Barbara McNichol

When I recently asked readers to describe writing challenges they see, one reader responded with this comment:

“Being able to write correctly has saved my editors from having to ‘help’ me. That makes them—and publishing houses in general—very happy. I suggest we also beef up our grammar/syntax so we speak correctly. No more starting sentences with ‘Me and my colleagues’ or using ‘between you and I’.”

This reader isn’t the one noticing these blatant grammar miscues. Watching a recent “Dancing with the Stars” TV show, I counted four times when participants and/or hosts got the pronouns wrong!

Without attempting to overcome years of grammar neglect, let me briefly explain certain common grammar miscues.

“Me and Jack” finished the report. It should be “Jack and I” finished the report.

Rule: When the subject is more than one, you need a subject pronoun (I, she, he, we, they, who).

Clue: Say the sentence without “Jack.” I finished the report. Now it’s easy to tell which pronoun is correct.

“Bob hired Peggy and I to draft the proposal.” It should be “Peggy and me.”

Rule: “Peggy and me” is the object of the verb “draft” and therefore requires an object pronoun (me, her, him, us, them, whom).

Clue: Say the sentence without “Peggy and.” Does it sound right to say “Bob hired I to draft the proposal”? You know it doesn’t! Bob hired me.

“Between you and I, we got the job done.” It should be “you and me.”

Rule: In this sentence, “me” is the object of the preposition “between” and therefore requires an object pronoun (me, her, him, us, them, whom).

“Roger, Lloyd, and myself finished the drawings.” It should be “Roger, Lloyd, and I finished the drawings.”

Rule: You can’t use a “-self” pronoun (myself, yourself, himself, herself, themselves, ourselves) unless it refers to another noun or pronoun earlier in the sentence.

Clue: Look for the referral word that precedes the pronoun.

What writing glitches do you see getting in the way of effective communication? Share them here!

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