DEAR DR. GOTT: When you respond to a question and refer to their doctor as “he or she,” why don’t you just say, “Your doctor will tell you what ‘they’ want you to do,” instead of “he or she”?
I love your column. I have gotten other people (note that I didn’t have to say gender specific) to read you, too!
DEAR READER: The simple answer is grammar. “They” is used when talking about more than one individual. Therefore, it doesn’t make sense that an individual (one person) can give “their” (more than one person) suggestions on a matter.
I am a stickler for grammar, but in today’s society, this trait seems to have fallen by the wayside. Just because many people incorrectly say or write something most of the time, doesn’t mean that it is any less wrong.
