Most writers face the situation commonly:<\/p>\n
Leaving the shelter of the train, everyone put on ______ hat.<\/em><\/p>\n “Everyone”\u00a0<\/strong>is, of course, singular.<\/strong> \u00a0If you knew the people were all women, you would love to say<\/p>\n Leaving the shelter of the train, everyone put on her<\/span> hat<\/em>.<\/p>\n What if the group is mixed – as usually it would be?<\/p>\n Leaving the shelter of the train, everyone put on her or his<\/span>\u00a0hat.<\/em><\/p>\n In today’s times, using “her or his” is the proper way. \u00a0Grammarwise, it’s correct because her or his<\/em>, being singular, agrees with everyone<\/em>. \u00a0Politically it’s correct, being gender-inclusive. \u00a0However, it complicates the sentence.<\/p>\n A common solution to the dilemma:<\/p>\n Leaving the shelter of the train, everyone put on their<\/span> hats.<\/em><\/p>\n Can you actually get away with using their<\/em> – which is plural – to refer to everyone<\/em>, which is singular? \u00a0The answer depends on your context: \u00a0formal writing won’t let you. However, informal writing permits it.<\/p>\n In a world that seems increasingly informal, formal writing still has some strongholds. \u00a0An English professor likely won’t let you get away with using their<\/em> in the situation we are discussing.<\/p>\n Here are some possible fixes that make formal writing a little more graceful:<\/p>\n Leaving the shelter of the train, everyone put on her\/his hat.<\/p>\n Everybody realizes she\/he needs to retrain.<\/p>\n Everybody realizes s\/he needs to retrain.<\/p>\n Ask your professor what s\/he will accept. \u00a0Remember: \u00a0when in doubt, go formal:)<\/p>\n Source: \u00a0McGraw-Hill Handbook of English<\/em>, Fourth Canadian Edition, 1986.<\/p>\n