RE: [PATCH 1/4] Documentation: use singular they when appropriate

From: Kerry, Richard <richard.kerry@atos.net>
Date: Jun 9, 2021, 13:44 UTC
Message-ID: <AS8PR02MB730269FA1BF5C3B0CE20DD8B9C369@AS8PR02MB7302.eurprd02.prod.outlook.com>
In-Reply-To: <60bfb1003c46b_1ac15c20894@natae.notmuch>

What do you prefer?

  A. We thank the reviewer for their helpful comments
  B. We thank the reviewer for her helpful comments

[RK] If this is, as it appears to be, a reference to a specific reviewer, then use their preferred pronoun, or possibly a conventional singular one if you know their name and they haven't specified a preference. [RK] Only if they aren't known, and especially if they are one from a pool, then "their". [RK] Or make them plural - We thank the reviewers for their helpful comments. [RK] Or rephrase to sidestep the issue (though it isn't clear to me here what that option would be)

Regards, Richard.

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