play video his or her
Usage Notes

Is singular 'they' a better choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'


"Everyone should do his or her best in whatever situations he or she happens to find himself or herself in?" That's awkward. Perhaps everyone should just do their best in the situations they find themselves in. Even if their best involves they as a singular pronoun.

Up next

play video his or her
Is singular 'they' a better choice?

 

The awkward case of 'his or her'

play video ghost words
How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

 

An imaginary word that snuck into the dictionary

play peter-sokolowski-indict-graphic
Video: Why is there a 'c' in 'indict'?

 

And who put it there, anyway?

play videos pictures in the dictionary
Pictures in the Dictionary

 

The story of those iconic illustrations.

play mrs malaprop
What is a malaprop?

 

We'll tell you all the perpendiculars

play video ending a sentence with a preposition
Ending a Sentence with a Preposition

 

An old-fashioned rule we can no longer put up with.

play video cynic
The History of 'Cynic'

 

How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.