How to Use the Singular "They" in Writing and Speaking

Referring to a Generic Person

Swap singular "they" for generic nouns if gender is unknown. Pronouns are often used in place of a generic noun, such as a job title (nurse, firefighter, veterinarian) or nationality (American, Swede, Japanese). Singular "they" is appropriate if the gender of the person you're describing is either unknown or irrelevant. For example, suppose you're writing about a firefighter who rescued a family's cat from their burning home. If you don't know the gender of the firefighter, you could just say "firefighter" over and over, but that would become monotonous. Instead, use the singular "they:" "The firefighter leaped over the flames as they carried the cat out of the house." The singular "they" is also appropriate if the gender of the person discussed is irrelevant. For example, if you're a hiring manager writing a job listing for nurses, the gender of the nurse you hire is irrelevant, so you would use the singular "they" when describing the job duties: "The nurse is responsible for maintaining the charts of all patients. They review the doctor's notes and update accordingly."

Refer back to indefinite pronouns with the singular "they." In some writing, you might use indefinite pronouns, such as "anyone" or "someone." Rather than repeating that same indefinite pronoun, use the singular "they" to add more information about the indefinite person discussed. For example, you might write: "If anyone has their notes from last class, I'd like a copy."

Substitute "they" for "he or she" to better match the people described. Previously, style guides recommended writing "he or she" rather than choosing a single-gendered pronoun to refer to all people. Using the singular "they" takes this a step further and recognizes that not all people use binary gendered pronouns. For example, you might write: "Each student takes their grades seriously." This sentence is more inclusive than writing "each student takes his or her grades seriously," because there may be students who don't use those pronouns.

Use the plural verb form with singular "they." Even though you're using "they" to represent a single person, you still use the plural verb form with the pronoun. This can be confusing if you're thinking of "they" as singular, but because you're used to "they" being plural, it sounds better with the plural verb than the singular verb. For example, you would write: "Each student takes their grades seriously. They are going to succeed." Notice that "they are" sounds natural, whereas "they is" would sound wrong.

Reword the sentence if singular "they" sounds awkward. Sometimes, the singular "they" adds confusion or makes it difficult for your readers to figure out what noun the pronoun relates back to. Step away from your writing for a little while, then go back and read through it again. If your usage of the singular "they" seems confusing, figure out how to edit the sentence so your meaning is clear. For example, suppose you write: "After reading an article about loneliness among troops stationed overseas, I sent them a care package." Even though you've used the singular "they," the context of the sentence makes it seem as though you sent care packages to multiple people. Instead, you could write: "After reading an article about loneliness among troops stationed overseas, I sent a care package to a soldier."

Using Someone's Self-Identified Pronoun

Ask a specific person what their pronouns are. If you're writing about a specific person and you don't know their pronouns, ask them before you start writing — don't just assume. Once you know their pronouns, use them where appropriate. If a person says they use "he" or "she," don't swap those out for the singular "they." Stick with the pronoun they use. If you don't have access to the person, look for other articles written about them and see what pronouns were used.

Leave out the pronoun entirely if you aren't sure. If you're writing about someone and don't know their pronouns, it's most respectful to simply recast your sentences about that person so that you aren't using any pronouns at all. That way, you don't have to worry about inadvertently using the wrong pronoun. Think about other ways to refer to the person that are gender-neutral. You might refer to where they live, their job title, or other personal traits. For example, you might write: "J. R. Smith teaches at City University, where the Texan also advocates for human rights." Make sure the other words you use are relevant to what you're writing and the context within which you're writing. For example, if you're writing for your school newspaper, referring to a person using your school's mascot might be appropriate ("A freshman at UCLA, the Bruin hopes to one day become a documentary filmmaker."). However, in the same context, it would be awkward to refer to the person by their hair color ("A freshman at UCLA, the brunette hopes to one day become a documentary filmmaker.")

Switch to the plural verb form when using the pronoun. Even though "they" refers to a single, particular person, this pronoun also requires plural verbs, not singular verbs. Revise your writing as necessary if it seems awkward or confusing, but always use the plural verb with the pronoun and the singular verb with the person's name. For example, you might write: "Dakota is the first nonbinary professor at this law school. They teach contracts and corporate law."