Contemporary English speakers commonly use the personal pronoun they as a gender-neutral singular pronoun. Whether you (impersonal) are talking about someone whose gender is unknown or irrelevant or referring to a person who identifies as nonbinary, singular they has become the preferred personal pronoun. (A personal pronoun is a pronoun that takes the place of a previously identified common or proper noun.) While the use may seem like a recent development within the English language, the history of singular they is anything but new. In fact, singular they has been a feature of English grammar for centuries.
Using they as a gender-neutral singular pronoun is common, especially when the gender of the person is unknown or irrelevant or when referring to someone who identifies as non-binary. Here are some examples of the use of the singular gender-neutral they:
- If a customer calls, tell them I will be with them shortly. (unknown gender)
- Someone left their phone on the table. I hope they come back for it. (unknown gender)
- Somebody spilled their drink on the floor, and they made a huge mess! (unknown gender)
- Sam finished their report, and they sent it to the team. (non-binary)
- Alex said they would bring their own laptop to the meeting. (non-binary)
- If you see Shannon, let them know that their package has arrived. (non-binary)
- Jordan identifies as non-binary, so they prefer they/them pronouns. (non-binary)
- Whoever arrives first can make themselves comfortable. (indefinite)
- If anyone wants to join the club, they should talk to the president. (indefinite)
- When someone becomes a parent, they realize how much responsibility it involves. (indefinite)
- Every student should submit their assignments by Friday, or they might lose points. (indefinite)
Using they in this gender-neutral way is grammatically correct and widely accepted, especially in modern writing and conversation. But when did the historically plural pronoun develop into a singular form?
The Gender-Neutral Pronoun Problem in English
According to prescriptive grammar rules, English lacks a gender-neutral singular pronoun to refer to an individual of unknown gender or who identifies as non-binary. The third person singular pronouns in English, according to prescriptive rules, are he, she, and it — the latter being limited to inanimate objects or abstract entities, not people. For example:
- The man is not wearing a coat, so he is quite chilly. (singular masculine)
- She is wearing a jacket as women are required by the dress code. (singular feminine)
- The mirror fell off the wall, and it shattered into a million pieces. (singular neuter)
But what is an English user to do when referring to a person of unknown or non-binary gender? Grammarians of the eighteen century would argue for he/him/himself/his as the default pronouns/determiners as in “Everyone must wash his hands.” But modern sentiments and a better understanding of inclusivity reveal the use of the masculine pronoun set as unsatisfactory and insufficient (and rather sexist).
Thus, English language users adapted. Instead of crafting an entirely new word, English speakers turned to the plural pronoun they. Though once solely plural, they has now evolved into a singular form, filling a much-needed gap in the language. Despite prescriptive arguments, the third person singular pronouns (and related determiners) in English are the masculine he/him/himself/his, feminine she/her/herself/hers, neuter it/itself/its, and gender-neutral they/them/themself/theirs/their.
Subject | Object | Possessive | Reflexive | Determiner | ||
Singular | Masculine | he | him | his | himself | his |
Feminine | she | her | hers | herself | her | |
Neuter | it | it | its | itself | its | |
Gender-Neutral | they | them | theirs | themself | their | |
Plural | they | them | theirs | themselves | their |
The Early History of Singular ‘They’
The first recorded use of singular they dates back to 1375 in the medieval romance William and the Werewolf written in Middle English:
Hastely hiȝed eche
þei neyȝþed so neiȝh
þere william & his worþi lef were liand i-fere.
Translated to Modern English, the test reads:
Each man hurried
till they drew near
where William and his darling were lying together.
In this verse, the word they each refers to the singular noun phrase each man. (The word man can also refer to people of all genders as in “Man must care for the Earth.” In Old English, the word mann could likewise refer to a person in general. Many modern Germanic languages have similar words such as the Norwegian man meaning “one, you, they, people.”) The use of they in this context shows the use of the pronoun in the singular. This usage of singular they might seem contemporary but has clearly existed for centuries. Given that spoken forms of language often predate written records, the use of the pronoun they in the singular even earlier than the fourteen century is extremely likely.
The following are additional historical examples the singular they:
Geoffrey Chaucer (1386) – The Canterbury Tales:
- “And whoso fyndeth hym out of swich blame, / They wol come up …”
Chaucer used they to refer to an unspecified person, showing how singular they was common even in Middle English.
William Shakespeare (1599) – Hamlet:
- “There’s not a man I meet but doth salute me / As if I were their well-acquainted friend.”
Here, Shakespeare uses their in reference to a single, unspecified person. It shows a natural usage of singular they in Early Modern English.
The King James Bible (1611) – Matthew 18:35:
- “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace… “
This translation also uses singular they in reference to a person of unspecified gender, which was common even in religious texts of that time.
Jane Austen (1813) – Pride and Prejudice:
- “To be so easily seen through, I suppose, is a great defect. I will not say more about it. They who are determined to be displeased with me may not be easy to reconcile to my beliefs. “
Austen’s novels include many instances of singular they, particularly when referring to hypothetical or unspecified individuals.
George Eliot (1859) – Adam Bede:
- “It is too late to spare anyone when they are dead.”
George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), writing in the 19th century, also used singular they naturally in prose, a common practice in English literature.
These examples show that the singular they is not a new development but has been a consistent part of the English language for centuries, used by famous writers in various periods and styles. The use of the singular they was often for gender-neutral or indefinite references, much as modern English speakers use the form today.
The Fight Against Singular ‘They’
By the eighteenth century, prescriptive grammar luddites started pushing back against singular they (and many other features of the English language). Prescriptivists argued that a historically plural pronoun could not have a singular antecedent. This rule, however, overlooked the fact that English had already made a similar shift with the pronoun you, a historically plural pronoun. But language changes.
Originally, you was a plural pronoun, used only to refer to more than one person. The singular form was thou as in “Thou shalt not steal.” Over time, you started to replace thou, initially as a polite form but later as the standard singular pronoun. By the seventeenth century, you had almost entirely replaced thou in all second-person contexts. Resistance to this change existed, with notable figures like George Fox, founder of Quakerism, writing in 1660 that using singular you was idiotic. However, by the eighteen century, you had fully transitioned into both a singular and plural pronoun
Interestingly, the same grammarians who opposed singular they conveniently forgot that you had undergone a similar shift.
Modern Usage and Acceptance
Despite the resistance, singular they continued to thrive in everyday language. And language use determines grammaticality, not arbitrary rules. Fast forward to the twentieth century, and language authorities began to acknowledge what speakers had long known: singular they was here to stay as a feature of the English personal pronoun system. The New Oxford Dictionary of English in 1998 not only accepted singular they, but also used the singular pronoun in their definitions. By 2010, the New Oxford American Dictionary recognized singular they as “generally accepted” alongside indefinite pronouns such as everyone and someone.
Not all style guides are on board, though. The Chicago Manual of Style still recommends against using singular they in formal writing. Yet, a common secret is that those who vehemently advise against singular they in public still use the form in private when they think no one is listening. A teacher might correct “Everyone brought their lunch” in a student paper, but, in everyday conversation, that same teacher might say, “I’m waiting for someone to call me back, but they haven’t yet.”
Singular ‘They’ in the Twenty-First Century
The twenty-first century has seen a growing awareness of gender diversity and, thus, a renewed push for gender-neutral language. Many people who identify as nonbinary, for example, prefer they as their personal pronoun. In 2017, a transgender teacher in Florida was removed from their classroom after requesting that students refer to them using singular they. Such controversies highlight the tension between traditional grammar rules and evolving social norms.
But the use of singular they is no longer a simple grammatical choice but rather a matter of respect and inclusivity. People use singular they because the pronoun allows them to refer to others without assuming gender, honoring both the fluidity of gender identity and the nuances of human language. The forms they/them/theirs/themself/their are singular and have been for centuries.
The Future of Singular ‘They’
The only constant in language is change. The evolution of singular they is not unlike the journey of you from plural to singular. Both faced resistance from prescriptivists, but the real-world usage ultimately won out, as actual language use always does. As former Chief Editor of the OED Robert Burchfield observed in The New Fowler’s Dictionary of Modern English Usage, objections to singular they are unsupported by the historical record, and the use is now “irreversible.”
In the end, the story of singular they is a reminder that language constantly changes to meet the needs of language users. Grammaticality in a language develops from use and use alone, not arbitrary rules. Today, singular they is well on its way to becoming as unremarkable as singular you — a once controversial form that is now an ordinary part of the linguistic landscape of English. Singular they is neither new nor revolutionary.
References
Baugh, Albert C. & Thomas Cable. 2002. A history of the English language. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
A Brief History of Singular ‘They’: https://www.oed.com/discover/a-brief-history-of-singular-they/
A Brief History of Singular ‘They’: https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/25/677177
Etymonline: They: https://www.etymonline.com/word/they#etymonline_v_10749
Kosur, Heather Marie. 2021. A Form-Function Description of the Grammar of the Modern English Language: Book 1 (Level 9B). Rock Pickle Publishing.
Kosur, Heather Marie. 2021. A Form-Function Description of the Grammar of the Modern English Language: Book 1 (Level 9A). Rock Pickle Publishing.