Referring to non-specific persons: should we use ‘he', 's/he', 'he or she', or ‘they’? — PART 2

In Part 1 of this post, I mentioned the old-fashioned method of referring to a non-specific person using the pronoun ‘he’ (as shown in sentence 1 below). In this post I want to consider options 2 and 3.

1. If a child is under 1 metre in height, he is not required to pay an admission fee.
2. If a child is under 1 metre in height, he or she is not required to pay an admission fee.
3. If a child is under 1 metre in height, s/he is not required to pay an admission fee.
4. If a child is under 1 metre in height, they are not required to pay an admission fee

Both of these options are widely used in modern standard English in order to be inclusive, getting away from the innate sexism of option 1. Many authorities discourage the use of option 3 however (’s/he’), mainly because it is not a ‘real’ word and cannot be pronounced if the sentence is being read aloud. 

Sentence 2 above is fine. But this usage (‘he or she’, or ‘he/she’) can become very clumsy when we  want to refer repeatedly to a non-specific individual across several sentences. Consider the following example from a HK government website:

     … We will also separately issue a final bill to the existing registered customer with a bill     
     message advising him/her that his/her consumership has been terminated and he/she may     
     contact us if he/she has any enquiries.

The final sentence of this is  difficult to read because the repeated use of he/she and him/her is distracting, and not something we would ever say in spoken English. In the next example, the writer (from the IRD) has added an extra option (not just ‘he’ or ‘she’ but also ‘they’) to produce an unreadable monstrosity:

     If the owner/all partners/the principal officer is/are not residing in Hong Kong, he/she          
     has/they have to appoint a resident individual as his/her/their agent for the purposes of
     business registration. In that case, please complete and submit the formIRBR177or submit
     an appointment letter stating the full particulars of the agent including his/her name, Hong
     Kong identity card number and residential address. A copy of his/her Hong Kong identity
     card must also be attached to the application.

In summary, while using ‘he or she’ or ‘he/she’ is perfectly acceptable in small doses, repeated usage across a text creates problems and distractions for readers. Here are some strategies for avoiding this:

1. Recast your sentence in the plural.

   Example: Each participant must present his or her ID badge at the door.

   Revised: All participants must present their ID badges at the door.
2. Use neutral words like individual or one.
   Example: The  manager must delegate all the tasks; he or she is responsible for the project's success.

   Revised: The  manager must delegate all the tasks; this individual is responsible for the project's success.
3. Eliminate the pronoun altogether.
   Example: The appointee is expected to edit a variety of documents. He or she must also prepare weekly updates.

   Revised: The appointee is required to edit a variety of documents and prepare weekly updates.
4. Repeat the noun.
   Example: The applicant must submit the  registration papers by July 1. His or her supervisor will send confirmation by email.

   Revised: The applicant must submit the  registration papers by July 1. The applicant's supervisor will send confirmation by mail.
5. Address the reader directly, using you and your.
   Example: The tenant must keep his or her apartment clean and tidy.

   Revised: As a tenant, you must keep your apartment clean and tidy.