| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. |
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.
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5. Gender: Sexist Language and Assumptions
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| § 13. alternatives to he |
| she as generic pronoun. Some writers avoid generic he simply by using she, as if to make up for she’s neglect over the centuries. This practice is more common than you might think. In a 1989 article from the Los Angeles Times, for example, writer Dan Sullivan notes, “What’s wrong with reinventing the wheel? Every artist has to do so in her search for the medium that will best express her angle of vision.” And Alice Walker writes in 1991, “A person’s work is her only signature.” You may find this usage needlessly brings the issue of gender to the forefront of the discussion, distracting the reader, but the same argument can be leveled against using generic he. Using she still carries an air of unconventionality, which may be why only three percent of the Usage Panel recommends it in sentences like A taxpayer who fails to disclose the source of ____ income can be prosecuted under the new law. | 1 |
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| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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