Date:  Fri, 16 Feb 1996 19:47:47 -0500

From:  Benjamin Barrett <Gogaku[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]GNN.COM>

Subject: Re: silly rules of grammar



Wouldn't that require a plural -s on gun?



Benjamin Barrett



>Date:     Fri, 16 Feb 1996 16:23:33 MST

>From: Tom Uharriet <UTOM[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ADMN.SHS.NEBO.EDU>



>The "they" used below suggests that the police have reason to believe

>that more than one person was involved in the crime. This inference

>has legal significance in the courtroom. Either way it would need to

>be clarified.



>> Here is one more good example of why it makes sense for speakers of

> English

>> to use "they" as the indefinite pronoun of singular reference (rather

> "he"or

>> "she"):

>>

>> From the *South Florida Sun-Sentinel," 15Feb96, 9B/1-2: "POMPANO

>> BEACH--Police are trying to figure out who would want to kill James

> Maxwell,

>> and why.

>>   "Maxwell, 40, who owned a commercial fishing boat and an electronics

>> company, was killed outside his upscale waterfront condominium at 8:10

>> Tuesday night, police spokeswoman Sandra King said.

>>   " 'It was a hit,' King said. 'Whoever killed him waited for him a

> great

>> deal of time and, when he showed up, they emptied their gun.' "

>>   " . . . neighbors saw a white man, about 5 feet 8 inches tall with a

>> medium build . . . hanging around Maxwell's home Tuesday night."

[snip]

>utom[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]admn.shs.nebo.edu