Use of They/Them Pronouns

Some gender nonconforming people prefer to use pronouns that aren't associated with a particular gender, typically they/them. Although the pronoun "they" is often associated with plural nouns, it is grammatically correct to use they/them to refer to a single person. For example, if you find an umbrella at a bus stop, you might say, "Oh no! Someone left their umbrella!" Although you are only referring to one person, you use the pronouns "their" because you are unsure of the gender of the person.

Similarly, when referring to a person that does not identify with a binary gender (male or female), you should use "they" because it does not imply a binary gender. For example, rather than saying, "He is a good student," you would say, "They are a good student." The use of "they are" in the second sentence does not associate the student with a binary gender as the first sentence does.

The use of they/them pronouns means that the verb of the sentence must be plural, bit as shown in the second sentence, the rest of the predicate does not need to be pluralized. This is useful, as it helps you determine whether someone is talking about multiple people or a single person. For example, the sentence, "They are a good student," implies that you are talking about a single student who uses they/them pronouns, whereas "They are good students," implies that you are talking about multiple people.

While they/them is not the only non-binary pronoun set, it is one of the more common ones. Remember to respect the pronouns that someone asks you to use, and don't assume that someone uses a specific set of pronouns unless they tell you otherwise.