Problematic pronouns for English learners. Gender neutrality for writing and speaking

Gender-neutral pronouns can be confusing for English learners. When should you use the singular "they" and when should you use "he or she"?
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Ben Gill
English Teacher
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[@KarlottaG]

I'm telling you, I just received a C2 thanks to Ben's C1 course exam preparation course. Honestly, even taking the PREMIUM course is less expensive than retaking the test...and the live session and three writing corrections with feedback were immensely helpful!

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Congratulations again, Karlotta! I'm so glad you found my course helpful. You're a great student!

[@clubdeinglescongeomonreal2551]

I’ve been looking for a video like this for ages. A million thanks! 😃

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Great! You're welcome 🙂

[@cathyblazquez]

Always remembering to teach the smallest detail and explaining it thoroughly, providing the best examples. You are a talented, very clever teacher. Thank you very much, Ben.🎉🎉🎉❤

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

I appreciate that!

[@NerdyNorth80]

Thank you, this is incredibly helpful😊

[@meh9677]

Videos explaining little things like these are very important! Thank you for making it!

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Glad it was helpful!

[@CTF74]

Your videos are really useful to us. Please publish more videos about C2-level grammar and similar topics.✊✊✊✊👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Will do 👍

[@Theyoutuberpolyglot]

I use he or she in my native language all the time. They/ them can be confusing, as the pronoun “they” is plural. Ladies and gentlemen is much better than in many languages which the masculine is only used. English is a very neutral language with genders. Only pronouns are different. When you say “ My teacher is nice or my dog is eating a piece of meat”. We have no clue if your teacher is a woman or a man and the dog might be a female or male dog. Should we also use sentences like “ His male/ female boss is on a holiday. The pronoun its is for animals. It is a neuter pronoun. Animals can be male and female as well. We are making a big deal with genders in languages. His or her is fine because we include both genders. How about the neutral gender? They are some people who identify themselves either man nor woman. It is not a joke. Some people say “ I am neither a man nor a woman”. I am something in between.

[@marimegonzalez7259]

As if learning English as it is woulnd't be hard enough😅😅. But, hey! Languages are alive and constantly changing, and that is the beauty in them! So.... Let's embrace the changing and let's try to be as respectful as we can be.

[@marale72uk]

Thanks Ben for the video!

[@Phulanitos]

Thanks, Ben!

[@laurapavone3513]

In Italian using the female pronoun is a formal expression that shows respect. e.i :'Lei è davvero chiaro nello spiegare la grammatica' 'you are very clear at explaining grammar '

[@Theyoutuberpolyglot]

Lei is a neutral formal way to be address people formally . Lei include both genders like usted in Spanish and vous in French.

[@maxthirtyseven]

Many thanks Ben 😊

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

My pleasure!

[@Chulamani]

Can we use the grammar pronouns "their" her or she" during TOEFL without being penalized?

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Yes. You will not be penalised.

[@rolandsimon5771]

A good student does their homework. their means his or her

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

That's right

[@WhereisMiffy]

I’m a bit confused with a subject-verb agreement. If we use they as a singular, should we change support to supports? 4:02

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

The subject-verb agreement rules don't change, even though "they" is being used as a singular pronoun.

[@WhereisMiffy]

@@tothepointenglishwithben. Thank you very much for your response!

[@vc.artiste1]

I'll keep using he/his, thank you.

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Ok. Good luck 🙂

[@montesierra717]

Ben, hace you seen "they" or "their" referring to a single person, for example, when a parent doesn't want to specify if their child is a boy or a girl?

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

No, I have never seen it used in that way. Unless the child identifies as neither male nor female.

[@montesierra717]

@@tothepointenglishwithben. Thanks.

[@brendalalicker4855]

I have always used they, them and their, but on English grammar sites , I keep coming across he/she, and they has been considered incorrect. Why isn't cyborg it? Why is the expectant mother asked, do you know what it is?

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

I think most people would use "it" for a cyborg. I think Yuval Noah Harari was emphasising how human-like cyborgs will be the future. You can refer to an unborn baby as "it" when the sex is unknown

[@РоманАндреев-м2р]

My guess - a cyborg is a machine, from Latin machina, which is a feminine noun

[@tothepointenglishwithben.]

Good point. But he tends to use feminine pronouns with other generic nouns, too.

[@marylkap6498]

Genders stuff... It's so complicated nowadays 😊

[@damqndenev2706]

You are brilliant, Ben! Keep on going!

[@user-cc2ux9ew1r]

Cheers china !

[@aram5642]

Just pondering here: will we ever refer to ships in masculine? ;) Imagine a vessel with a statement on its (?) bow "my pronouns: he/his/him"