What's an antecedent? It's the noun to which the pronoun refers. If I use "they," readers should instantly know which plural noun I mean. If I use "that" as a pronoun, readers should be confident that I refer to a thing, not a person.
Can you find the pronoun-related errors in these sentences?
1. One can say what they wish.
2. Please identify the person that witnessed the accident.
3. The needle is quickly withdrawn and pressure is applied to it for 20 minutes.
4. The physical signs of stress, abuse, and neglect are serious, and it is often felt for years.
5. The client called yesterday, and they want an appointment.
You ask, What if the client is an organization? Well, let's think about that situation. Could an organization phone you? Probably it was a person who phoned, in which case you would want to say "he" or "she" wants an appointment, right?
However, you do raise an interesting related question. Do I want to refer to an organization as "it" or "they"? In British English, at least in the press, writers use "they," as in "Barclays Bank reported that they will..." U.S. writers usually write, "Ford reported that it will..." At least, that pattern has been my impression.
1 comment:
In item 5: What if the client is an organization?
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