Kaltyn of Torbins Deep.294 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 > @"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said: > > @Avectius.3271 said: > > > > "They" or "Them" are terms used to refer to people in their plural form. That's it. > > Nope, not any more. Language evolves to fit the needs of the community using it. Otherwise ANet would still be setting priorities rather than prioritizing. > The rules of grammar are still the same. WE, however, have allowed ignorance and laziness to supersede the requirements of proper grammar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chadramar.8156 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 Singular they is neither "incorrect" nor new. Funny how people who insist on linguistic purity and tradition do not know that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseofGilead.8907 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 > @"Kaltyn of Torbins Deep.2946" said: > > @"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said: > > > @Avectius.3271 said: > > > > > > "They" or "Them" are terms used to refer to people in their plural form. That's it. > > > > Nope, not any more. Language evolves to fit the needs of the community using it. Otherwise ANet would still be setting priorities rather than prioritizing. > > > > The rules of grammar are still the same. WE, however, have allowed ignorance and laziness to supersede the requirements of proper grammar. Using "they"/"their" in this way isn't a new phenomenon, though. There are examples of it from centuries ago, and even writers such as Jane Austen used it. Rules of grammar have seen their own changes in the past, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inculpatus cedo.9234 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 Perhaps, ArenaNet thought to use 'their' in this dictionary definition: _(used with a singular indefinite pronoun or singular noun antecedent in place of the definite masculine his or the definite feminine her): Someone left their book on the table. It's good for the teacher to have high expectations for their students_. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illconceived Was Na.9781 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 > @"Kaltyn of Torbins Deep.2946" said: > > @"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said: > > > @Avectius.3271 said: > > > > > > "They" or "Them" are terms used to refer to people in their plural form. That's it. > > > > Nope, not any more. Language evolves to fit the needs of the community using it. Otherwise ANet would still be setting priorities rather than prioritizing. > > > > The rules of grammar are still the same. WE, however, have allowed ignorance and laziness to supersede the requirements of proper grammar. Actually, no, the rules of grammar evolve all the time. Things like Strunk & White, the Chicago Manual of Style, and so on ... they all mention how things change and in a lot of cases, even specifically mention that some so-called rules are just preferences. It would be bad to act as if there aren't any rules, but it's equally bad to pretend that there's universal agreement or that the consensus doesn't change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psientist.6437 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 > @Avectius.3271 said: > > @"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said: > > Nope, not any more. Language evolves to fit the needs of the community using it. Otherwise ANet would still be setting priorities rather than prioritizing. > > > > "Nope, not any more". > > Lmao, listen to yourself. Language doesn't change just because a select few want it to change. You're delusional. > > If one were to write something like: "They is a good person" instead of "He/She is a good person", people would laugh at you, because it'd be grammatically incorrect. > > Have fun living in fantasy land, though. > > If Illconceived or anyone else wants to avoid being laughed at they would say 'They are a good person'. The English language is probably the fastest evolving language out there and there are many exceptions to the supposed hard and fast grammar rules. Stop being so 19th century. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksgarvin.6132 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 Use of the singular "they" has a very long history. I'm a copy editor, and while it does seem weird (and a lot of people can't stand it), using "they" avoids a lot of he/she issues in writing. And ... I never thought my job and this game would mesh. ;) However, if you show me an apostrophe out of place I'll probably have a meltdown. :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witcher.3197 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 > @Ashen.2907 said: > Their, in a situation where gender is known, is odd. Anet's been well known for political correctness in recent years and I think it's starting to leak more and more into the game. We can select male/female on character creation but the game can't acknowledge our charatcer's gender in situations like this..? Nonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omar Aschi Popp.7496 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 > @"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said: > > @Sutrebor.4217 said: > > > > and it just sounds awkward lol > > Some things that look awkward are more a matter of preference than of actual grammar. For example, `colour` looks wrong to me, but `color` looks awkward to those who speak British English. However, if you live in Potsdam, NY or Cornwall, ON, you'd probably be used to both and need a moment to think about which one to use. I'm from Ontario lol I never even noticed the entire text All same to me. I RP as a human separatist. Oh wait that's not rp if it's genuine More lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rauderi.8706 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 > @ksgarvin.6132 said: > Use of the singular "they" has a very long history. I'm a copy editor, and while it does seem weird (and a lot of people can't stand it), using "they" avoids a lot of he/she issues in writing. And ... I never thought my job and this game would mesh. ;) However, if you show me an apostrophe out of place I'll probably have a meltdown. :o Mwahaha, now I no youre weakness! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art.1290 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 Skipped my English class and read this thread instead. Didn't miss a thing. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oglaf.1074 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 Kings and Queens through-out the ages have been using plural pronouns for most of recorded history, by-the-by. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rauderi.8706 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 > @Oglaf.1074 said: > Kings and Queens through-out the ages have been using plural pronouns for most of recorded history, by-the-by. > > :D Ah, the Royal We, used to indicate that the monarch was speaking on behalf of his entire sovereignty. There was also the weirdo Thee/Thou split, and I can't remember which one was the more formal to address a particular Highness. (Too lazy to Google it.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avectius.3271 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 > @witcher.3197 said: > > @Ashen.2907 said: > > Their, in a situation where gender is known, is odd. > > Anet's been well known for political correctness in recent years and I think it's starting to leak more and more into the game. We can select male/female on character creation but the game can't acknowledge our charatcer's gender in situations like this..? Nonsense. This so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vicious.5683 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 "his/her" instead of "their" sounds a lot better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just a flesh wound.3589 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 I'm putting my vote in for its. Pat crossed its arms. Might as well make everyone equally unhappy. ^.^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rauderi.8706 Posted September 21, 2017 Share Posted September 21, 2017 > @"Just a flesh wound.3589" said: > I'm putting my vote in for its. > > Pat crossed its arms. > > Might as well make everyone equally unhappy. ^.^ That would make me unhappy? :frown: Nah. :smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dusanyu.4057 Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 well the commander is a collection of pixels on a screen so "Pat crossed its arms." is fitting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Greyhawk.9107 Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 Its things like this thread that make me wish I still drank. . ___ Hate Is Fuel ___ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syktek.7912 Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 So basically a certain person in here is alluding to the idea that they're upset over Anet not assigning biological sex referal to emotes while everyone else argues how to type / speak proper English? Or am I over thinking this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITheNormalPerson.9275 Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 You know what upsets me? really upsets me?? That we have "Player crosses their arms" instead of "Player crosses their leafy appendages" "Player crosses their furry front legs" "Player crosses their 3 fingered eternal alchemy integration devices" "Player crosses their massive beer-holders" Absolute missed opportunity. I'm offended on a **personal** level over this. I thought Arena-Net is accepting of all, but now I see that they're obviously just another pro-human corporation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lokki.1092 Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 It's always sounded and looked strange to me. But further more, it can make conversations confusing for no reason. If I said, _"Caithe is having problems with Destiny's Edge because they have been treating her badly. Their new opinion of her is her own fault as she betrayed them for her own benefit with little regard for them and their feelings."_ The structure makes sense and is quite easy to follow. However changing it to... _"Caithe is having problems with Destiny's Edge because they have been treating them badly. Their new opinion of them is their own fault as they betrayed them for their own benefit with little regard for them and their feelings."_ Questions may arise of whom betrayed whom because the pronouns are not clear. Pronouns serve to make language easier to understand not more difficult. Them they and their for a singular person seems strange and potentially confusing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illconceived Was Na.9781 Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 > @Syktek.7912 said: > So basically a certain person in here is alluding to the idea that they're upset over Anet not assigning biological sex referal to emotes while everyone else argues how to type / speak proper English? Or am I over thinking this? The OP claimed that ANet was incorrectly using "their" when the gender of the speaker isn't explicitly known. Some agreed that this is improper; others don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just a flesh wound.3589 Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 That's why it should be the neutral. See _"Caithe is having problems with Destiny's Edge because they have been treating it badly. Their new opinion of it is their own fault as it betrayed them for its own benefit with little regard for them and their feelings."_ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lokki.1092 Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 > @"Just a flesh wound.3589" said: > That's why it should be the neutral. > > See > > _"Caithe is having problems with Destiny's Edge because they have been treating it badly. Their new opinion of it is their own fault as it betrayed them for its own benefit with little regard for them and their feelings."_ Much better than they/them/their. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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