English question

[(marc)]

I'm writing some documentation for a game in English. I'm not a native speaker so I wondered how should I refer to the player. I'm currently always using "he / she" and "his / her". I believe I once read that it's polite to always just use "she", "her" and so on. Is this correct?

 

[maflynn]

I think its politically correct now a days to use (s)he and other mechanisms as awkward as they are to make your document gender neutral. By the same token there's still nothing wrong with defaulting to the masculine gender when the occasion calls for it.

Personally, I opt for masculine gender over using the (s)he or him/her as that tends to make the document awkward in my opinion.

 

[iStudentUK]

I'd use he and him only. Traditionally this is what was done, but it is starting to go out of favour. Which is silly!

It is like when people say 'mankind' or 'fireman' they don't mean people with bits on the outside! They mean all people, as in that context 'man' is not gender-specific.

I'd much rather read instructions written with 'he' than lots of silly '(s)he' or 'he/she' things around.

 

[(marc)]

I think its politically correct now a days to use (s)he and other mechanisms as awkward as they are to make your document gender neutral. By the same token there's still nothing wrong with defaulting to the masculine gender when the occasion calls for it.

Personally, I opt for masculine gender over using the (s)he or him/her as that tends to make the document awkward in my opinion.

Yeah, afaik in French and German you always just use "he" to refer to both sexes. So it's the same in English? Btw, Wikipedia even has an article about it. It appears that using just "she" isn't common.

 

[Queso]

I normally refer to "they" and "their". Although you are writing in the singular you are actually referring to a group of people, so it's grammatically valid as well as being gender neutral.

 

[0007776]

Yeah, afaik in French and German you always just use "he" to refer to both sexes. So it's the same in English? Btw, Wikipedia even has an article about it. It appears that using just "she" isn't common.

yeah, I never see people using just she unless it's clear they are only talking about women. I'd usually either just use he or they.

 

[Mousse]

Why not just refer to the player using the player's name. Even the in the player's dialogue, he/she will use his/her name as well, thus confirming the long held belief* that heroes/heroines are textbook narcissist.

* I believe this anyhow. The hero is always hogging all the HP, melee attacks and/or the miracle-special-ultra-super-megaton attack spell, while the supporting cast have to make do with half the hp and healing spells.

 

[weckart]

I normally refer to "they" and "their". Although you are writing in the singular you are actually referring to a group of people, so it's grammatically valid as well as being gender neutral.

This is grammatically nonsense, of course. Singular is singular, plural is plural. If you need to avoid the awkward he/she palaver, try placing the subject in the plural.

 

[Mousse]

This is grammatically nonsense, of course. Singular is singular, plural is plural. If you need to avoid the awkward he/she palaver, try placing the subject in the plural.

Recently, they/their has become acceptable as a singular pronoun.

The Cambridge Guide to English Usage (2004): "They, them, their are now freely used in agreement with singular indefinite pronouns and determiners, those with universal implications such as any(one), every(one), no(one), as well as each and some(one), whose reference is often more individual....For those listening or reading, it has become unremarkable—an element of common usage."

First they drop Shall in favor of Will for singular, now this. When with the butchery of the Queen's language end?

To the Op: If you don't want to go with the narcissist hero/heroine, use they/them to make thing simple.

 

[Queso]

^^ Thank you. Saves me the bother

 

[(marc)]

Coincidentally, I just found an example of this in an article by Richard Stallman:

About half the time, the beggar accepts this offer. So we go to a nearby store (I choose which). I invite her to choose the food, within limits (for instance, I won't buy bottled beverages, since anyone can get water to drink). I pay for it and give it to her. This typically costs several dollars, but I don't mind; I am glad to give it since I know it is a good cause. Since this only occurs occasionally, the expense is not significant.

Then, in the next paragraph:

If a beggar asks for money to take a bus or subway train, I do not give him money. Instead I offer to pay his fare directly. I will walk a few blocks and wait a few minutes to do this, unless I am in a hurry. If I had responded thus to the lying panhandler at Harvard Square, he would not have succeeded in tricking me. But if he had been honest, I would have helped him.

Go figure!