oxford_guide_to_english_grammar

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185 Special uses of you, one, we and they
5 They for someone of unknown sex
There is a problem in English when we want to talk about a single person whose
sex is not known. Here are three possible ways.
1 When the millionth visitor arrives, he will be given a free ticket. His photo will be
taken by a press photographer.
2 When the millionth visitor arrives, he or she will be given a free ticket. His or her
photo will be taken by a press photographer.
3 When the millionth visitor arrives, they will be given a free ticket. Their photo
will be taken by a press photographer.
The use of he in sentence (1) is seen by many people as sexist and is less common
than it used to be. But (2) is awkward and we often avoid it, especially in speech.
In (3) they is used with a singular meaning. Some people see this as incorrect,
but it is neater than (2), and it is quite common, especially in informal English.
NOTE
a The problem disappears if we can use a plural noun. Compare these two sentences.
A student is expected to arrange his or her own accommodation.
Students are expected to arrange their own accommodation.
b Sometimes we write he/she instead of he or she.
He/she will be presented with a video camera.
185 Special uses of you, one, we and they
1 You
This real conversation contains two examples of the pronoun you meaning 'people
in general'.
DRESSING FOR DINNER
Mary: Well, what sort of clothes do women wear these days to sort of have dinner
in a hotel on holiday?
Celia: I think you can wear anything these days.
Felix: Long skirt and top, that's what my wife always wears.
Mary: What do you mean 'top'?
Felix: Well, depending on how warm it is, you can either have a thin blouse or a
blouse over a jumper.
(from M. Underwood Have you heard?)
Compare the two meanings of you.
What do you mean? (you = Felix, the person spoken to)
You can wear anything these days. (you = women in general)
2 One and you
a
We can also use one to mean 'any person, people in general', including the
speaker. One is a third-person pronoun.
One/You can't ignore the problem.
One doesn't/You don't like to complain.