Reply to comment about "Embracing the singular “they” as a gender-neutral pronoun"

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Submitted by Christopher Tate on June 30, 2023, at 14:40

Hi Paul! Thank you, and thanks for the question. The answer is yes and no! If a person is using "singular" they pronouns, you would conjugate in the plural when referring directly to whatever it is: "they HAVE a cat", and when using their name you switch back to singular: "Christopher HAS a cat". So if you want to specify that Christopher is just one person, it's easier to use the person's name rather than pronoun. It can take a little getting used to! Especially when sentences are mixed: "Christopher's cat HAS a vet appointment, and THEY need to call ahead, so please remind THEM!"
I hope that helps! Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.