Does MLA allow singular they?

In its publications, the MLA generally does not use the plural pronoun they (or their, them, and themselves) to refer to singular nouns. While the singular they is not uncommon in spoken English and in some informal contexts, in formal writing it is best to reword for agreement in number.

Is singular accepted?

APA endorses the use of “they” as a singular third-person pronoun in the seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. This means it is officially good practice in scholarly writing to use the singular “they.”

Why is the singular “they” important?

When individuals whose gender is neither male nor female (e.g. nonbinary, agender, genderfluid, etc.) use the singular they to refer to themselves, they are using the language to express their identities. Adopting this language is one way writers can be inclusive of a range of people and identities. Isn’t this political?

Is there a third person singular for “they”?

Merriam-Webster sums up the situation well in their usage note for they: They, their, them, themselves: English lacks a common-gender third-person singular pronoun that can be used to refer to indefinite pronouns (as everyone, anyone, someone). Although English has many great qualities, it’s never been great with indefinite pronouns.

Is there a gender-neutral third-person singular personal pronoun?

The English language does not have a gender-neutral third-person singular personal pronoun, but in recent years they has gained considerable traction in this role. They has been officially recognized as correct by several key bodies such as the Associated Press.

Should inheritance pronouns be singular?

In the 17th century, English laws concerning inheritance sometimes referred to people who didn’t fit a gender binary using the pronoun it, which, while dehumanizing, was conceived of as being the most grammatically fit answer to gendered pronouns around then. Adopting the already-singular they is vastly preferable.