Section: Inclusive writing
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Introduction
Sometimes you can easily make a sentence gender-inclusive by using an article instead of a pronoun. Try replacing the personal pronoun with a definite article (“the”) or an indefinite article (“a” or “an”).
| Gendered sentence | Inclusive solution |
|---|---|
| If a self-employed individual makes a claim for special benefits, his benefit level will be based on eligible earnings from self-employment and employment as an employee. | If a self-employed individual makes a claim for special benefits, the benefit level will be based on eligible earnings from self-employment and employment as an employee. |
| A passport can be refused if an applicant is found to have made false statements on his or her passport application. | A passport can be refused if an applicant is found to have made false statements on the passport application. |
| A band chief must submit his or her governance improvement plan for band council review | A band chief must submit a governance improvement plan for band council review. |
Guidelines for using an article
You can’t use articles to replace the words “he” or “she,” but you can often use them to replace the words “his” or “her.” If your sentence is short and simple, you may not need to use gendered pronouns to communicate your intended meaning; you can try using “a” or “the.” But read the sentence back carefully to make sure it doesn’t sound ambiguous or unnatural.
Additional information
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© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement
A tool created and made available online by the Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada
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