Why we have to avoid sexist language, English

Assignment Help:

Avoid Sexist Language

The "he or she" problem

Most composition theorists now agree that it's unacceptable to use masculine nouns and pronouns to refer to the whole human race. A sentence like "Man's hunger for knowledge has always distinguished him from other animals" may technically include women, but do you really "see" a woman in your mind as you're reading it? Since women are just as hungry for knowledge as men, it's important to include them.

Of course, using terms that include both genders can become awkward. One of the biggest problems arises when you are trying to discuss a group of people using a singular representative. Take the following lines, for example:

When writing for a magazine, the writer should find out as much about his or her readers as he or she can. He or she should research the magazine's subscriber base, to learn what writing style he or she will have to use.

This is obviously clumsy. However, such problems don't mean that you should revert to calling the writer "he." Using "they" to refer to a singular noun is becoming more common (as in "the writer should find out about their readers") but is still technically incorrect.

 


Related Discussions:- Why we have to avoid sexist language

Explain the meaning of adjectives, Explain the meaning of Adjectives   Wha...

Explain the meaning of Adjectives   What does it mean to "modify" a word?   Modifiers are words that add information to the sentence base. The word modify means "to change" or "

Essay, what exactly is a tentative essay and can u put this in simple man t...

what exactly is a tentative essay and can u put this in simple man terms plz Your initial post must justify the placement of your material and describe the material’s intended effe

Raising tax rates, write an essay on one of the following: 1.      Doe...

write an essay on one of the following: 1.      Does raising tax rates necessarily raise tax revenue? What factors affect how tax revenue changes when tax rates change? 2.

Aneid, Do you know of a phrase in the Aneid (I was reading it some time ago...

Do you know of a phrase in the Aneid (I was reading it some time ago, but can''t find it now) that says " . . . some wounds heal in the wind . . . ?

Indian development, we should follow the west for development and need not ...

we should follow the west for development and need not think of our rich tradition

#title.stylistics, if we want stylistics analysis of a text what necessary ...

if we want stylistics analysis of a text what necessary things we will be looking for

Romeo and juliet, i need help understanding the language of romeo and julie...

i need help understanding the language of romeo and juliet

Workplace writing, Ask queswhat are differences between PAIBOC and PRIDE mo...

Ask queswhat are differences between PAIBOC and PRIDE modles of communicationtion #Minimum 100 words accepted#

Possisive pronouns, what is the different between your and yours?

what is the different between your and yours?

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd