>>27434002How about I quote Wikipedia? Since you're so fond to it.
Strunk & White, the authors of The Elements of Style find use of they with a singular antecedent unacceptable:
"They. Not to be used when the antecedent is a distributive expression, such as each, each one. everybody, every one, many a man. Use the singular pronoun. ... A similar fault is the use of the plural pronoun with the antecedent anybody, anyone, somebody, someone [. . . ] The use of he as pronoun for nouns embracing both genders is a simple, practical convention rooted in the beginnings of the English language. "
Their assessment, in 1979, was
"He has lost all suggestion of maleness in these circumstances. ... It has no pejorative connotation; it is never incorrect."[104]
Using they as a singular is a modern meme.
