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I suppose it would be out of place to point out that the second sentence
in these examples is in passive voice as well. ;-Þ
Charles T. Rich
Technical Writer
Product Development
Follett Software Company
-- Aint I a stinker?
>Janice Gelb took issue with my "...if the writer is blaming Word, sit down
>with them and watch them write...", and proposed the following rewrite:
><<You may want to sit down and watch how a writer blaming Word is using the
>product -- assuming that's acceptable. Perhaps the software is being used
>incorrectly and you can explain the the problem and help solve it.>>
>Or, for that matter: "Sit down and watch how the writer ["blaming Word' is
>implicit from context] is using the product--if that's acceptable. If the
>software's being used incorrectly, perhaps you can..." Pace Janice, as I
>noted in my original response, this is a good example of how two
experienced
>editors can disagree about whether they/them is (are? <g>) acceptable and
>both have good reasons for doing so. So if you're editing for Geoff the
>Reader, by all means, promiscuously use them pronouns, but if you're
editing
>for Janice the reader, watch your thee's and thou's.
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