The Secret Neutral Pronoun in English

Many grammar books and English teachers will tell you that the English language doesn’t have a personal neutral pronoun for use with people. There’s no plural for he and she, so they say we should use he or she.

However, a plural pronoun for he does exist it’s in regular use by most native speakers.

ENGLISH PRONOUNS

Pronouns are those words we use in the place of a full noun. We have both subject and object pronouns and we have singular and plural pronouns. But what do we say when we don’t know if the person we are speaking about is male or female? We can’t use it as that is for something that is not human. We could say he or she but that’s a bit unwieldy.

NEUTRAL PRONOUNS IN ENGLISH

In everyday language, native English speakers use they, their or them for neutral single pronouns.

Examples:

Everybody should collect their books before leaving (everybody should collect his or her books before leaving

Your friend can come too if they want (your friend can come too if he or she wants)

Here then are the personal subject and object pronouns used today on England.

Singular Pronouns

Plural pronouns

USING NEUTRAL PRONOUNS IN ENGLISH

There’s often a difference between what is considered correct by grammar books and how people actually speak. So when you’re in an English-speaking country and you hear the locals use they, their and them, remember they could well be talking about one person and don’t want to specify the gender.

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