1 hr confidence:   peer agreement (net): +1 You might find it helpful...
Explanation:
There was already a similar question asked earlier, you might want to have a look at it:
"I am translating the online help of a software and political correctness (he/she) turned out to be a problem"
Good luck (you will need it in the treacherous world of PC) :o)
Reference: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/150408
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1 hr confidence: peer agreement (net): +3 The individual has to learn how to take care of his or her life.
Explanation:
Gail, this is a very important question. I firmly believe that a careful writer would NOT use a plural pronoun (their) to refer to a singular noun (individual). On the other hand, the use of the male pronoun (he, his, him, etc.) is now out. So the challenge is to find an elegant way out. This often involves a little rewriting of the original. There are many solutions. Below are some of them.
What Not to Do
If you've been thinking that you have to break grammar rules to use gender-neutral writing, you may be surprised at what not to do:
Do not use "he" as a generic pronoun; use it only to refer to men and boys.
Do not use "she" as a generic pronoun; use it only to refer to women and girls.
Do not use "they" as a singular pronoun unless you are confident that your audience won't mind. This usage is gaining in popularity and acceptance, but a lot of people dislike it or stumble over it.
Avoid phrases such as "he or she" and "he/she" or made-up words like "s/he."
Do not use a feminized noun (e.g., manageress) when the normal noun (manager) covers both sexes.
What to Do
With what not to do in mind, here are some techniques you can use:
Bypass the problem of gender whenever possible For example, when writing procedures and instructional material, you are usually speaking directly to the reader, so you can use:
Imperative mood (Do this.).
Second person (you) instead of third person (he, the user).
First person plural (we), as used, for example, in parts of this article.
Use plural nouns and plural pronouns Avoid problems with using singular nouns and pronouns by using plural ones, like this:
No To log in, the user must enter his login name and password.
Yes (In a user document) To log in, enter your login name and password.
Yes (In other documents) To log in, users must enter their login names and passwords.
Avoid pronouns completely when you can Instead, try these techniques:
Repeat the noun (sometimes this also makes your meaning clearer):
Reference: http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/magazine/writing/genderneut...
| Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 14:55
Native speaker of:  English
PRO pts in pair: 2249
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