Which sentence uses the singular they correctly as a pronoun to refer to a person when gender is unknown?

Which sentence uses the singular they correctly as a pronoun to refer to a person when gender is unknown?

• A. The artist signed their name.
• B. The artist signed his name.
• C. The artist signed her name.
• D. The artist signed it name.

Answer: (A)

When you don’t know a person’s gender, using the singular form of they keeps the reference neutral and natural. Here, the subject is a single artist, so saying the artist signed their name correctly shows ownership without assuming male or female. Using his would imply a male artist, and using her would imply a female artist, which isn’t indicated. The phrase it name is not correct because people aren’t referred to as it, and its name would refer to a non-human object. So the sentence with their name is the right, inclusive choice.

When you don’t know a person’s gender, using the singular form of they keeps the reference neutral and natural. Here, the subject is a single artist, so saying the artist signed their name correctly shows ownership without assuming male or female. Using his would imply a male artist, and using her would imply a female artist, which isn’t indicated. The phrase it name is not correct because people aren’t referred to as it, and its name would refer to a non-human object. So the sentence with their name is the right, inclusive choice.