10 Aug he/she, him/her

When writing information that includes males and females, the acceptable “he or she”, “him or her” can become tedious if the reference is repeated several times.  To avoid that kind of tedium, try a couple of options:

1. try putting the whole thing in the plural–rather than “the student…he or she…” or the employee…he or she…”, try “the students…they…”, “the employees…they”.

2. if it doesn’t work to put the noun in the plural, leave it in the singular, but put the pronoun in the plural: “When we get a new president, give them the updated protocol.”  This use of the plural pronoun with a singular noun may grate on the ears of purists, but it is increasingly accepted as the best solution to the “him or her” awkwardness.

The generic “he” when referring to both sexes is no longer considered acceptable.  The hideous-looking s/he doesn’t seem to be used much any more either.