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Re: Pronouns with User

Subject: Re: Pronouns with User
From: M Giffin <mgiffin -at- earthlink -dot- net>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2001 22:35:37 -0700

I have a suggestion. Do it this way:

"If the user is ... then customize his session."

I do this occasionally, judiciously, in the documentation I write. I have never seen a good reason for a monolithic rule against it.

M Giffin


Vicki wrote:

I am having a debate with a co-worker (also a technical writer) about which
pronoun to use when "user" as the antecendent and the gender is unknown. He
always uses a plural pronoun.

For example:

"If the user is ...then customize their session."

I think this is technically incorrect but I am seeing it more and more. My
solution would be:

"If the user is ...then customize the session."

or

"If the user is ...then customize his/her session."


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References:
Pronouns with User: From: Victoria Whitehorne

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