Smash Notes
Where Did the Singular Use of “they” Come From
It has had a presence in the English language for many, many centuries. Just because it exists doesn’t make it useful or correct. If you read literature in the 20th century, you will not see the singular use of they. “He” is used as the default pronoun, unless specified otherwise.
Science Rules! with Bill Nye
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Language Rules!
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at 30:24
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On this episode
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- What Is the Difference Between Editing and Copyediting
- What Brings So Much Satisfaction From Grammar
- Why Do Some Words Break the "i After E, Except After C" Rule
- Where Did the Hierarchy of Curse Words Come From
- Where Did the Singular Use of “they” Come From
- How Do Writers Avoid Using “they” as a Singular Pronoun
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- Does Thinking About Nothing Make a Person Focus More During a Game or Event
- What Is One Rule That the Spelling Bee Champions Applied
- How Does Someone Spell a Word
- What Is Something That Breaks Grammatical Rules