Comment

Comment by Nancy Miller on June 14, 2012 at 1:35pm

Ha! You see, kids? Refurred has other meanings that are significant to dog lovers!

But yes, this drives me insane, too, Emily. It gets cumbersome to keep saying "he or she" and using only plurals is not always appropriate, either, but you're right that it creates a pronoun antecedent agreement issue. If you say "driver," then you do need to say "he or she" if you are referring (not refurring) back to him. Or them.

Oh, shoot me now! Why didn't I go into real estate when I had the chance!

Comment by Emily Kennedy on June 14, 2012 at 12:54pm

I have read that grammar rules have changed, but in the byline to this story, the writer uses "coworker" and the pronoun "their" together.  Also "driver" and "their."  I know "he or she" is tedious, but the third person plural is plural.  I just can't embrace this current acceptance of "their."  It drives me nuts.  Sorry!

Comment by S. Connell Vondrak on June 14, 2012 at 11:25am

Yeah! And, don't even start with the miss use of refurred. As my dog really needs to be refurred

Comment by Nancy Miller on June 14, 2012 at 10:50am

This really speaks, Maria, to how imprecise our language is becoming. As an English instructor, I've always seen my role as being that of a guardian of civilization, so to speak, so this is a subject close to my heart. We do use words interchangeably and they of course are not. Even words that are similar in meaning are not identical. To describe the "cat's eyes as gleaming," and the "cat's eyes as shining" are different descriptions, though they are similar. Gleaming evokes associations to hunting or stalking, perhaps, as the cat's eyes gleam when they spot a mouse. Shining has a more lyrical connotation and evokes images of being wide awake in the moonlight, maybe, or the look a cat has when she is being stroked.

Being precise in choosing the best word for one's purpose is paramount for writers! Great topic.

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