May 5, 2009
A grammar book I paged through said this sentence is correct. What say you?
Like this post?
Any man or woman may enter his project in the contest.
How would you correct this peculiar sentence…or is it right?
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© 2012 Abuyo. All rights reserved.
How about, “Any man or woman may enter a project in the contest.”?
I realize that I am from the state where the verb phrase “fixin-ta-” is not only acceptable, but required speech…but if I were saying this, it would read…Any man or woman may enter their project in the contest.
I suppose it is correct as long as the “his” doesn’t refer to either the man or the woman.
Any man or woman may enter John’s project in the contest – but it would probably be cheating!
but if entrants are expected to enter their own projects:
Any man or woman may enter his or her project in the contest.
I don’t have a problem with it. “Masculine” is also traditionally the English gender neutral, too, and it is in several other languages, as well. I would probably phrase it as Zelig suggested, especially in an essay, just to avoid losing marks from profs care about that sort of thing… But I’m a girl, and I have no problem with this sentence… I find “his/her” quite cumbersome as it says “trying to be politically correct!” and more often than not detracts (distracts) from the purpose of the sentence…
the only thing i would change is to say “person” instead of “man or woman.” then you don’t have to worry about the woman who submitted his project.
you COULD use a parallel structure argument to say it is incorrect as it stands: “man OR woman” should be paralleled in the possessive pronouns “his OR her.”
i’m not a huge fan of using “their,” but everyone would understand your meaning quite clearly. sometimes using proper grammar actually causes more “noise” over the line of communication than using improper grammar — a good example would be if i WERE to use the subjunctive.
Well this is how a normal person would probably say it:
Anyone can enter their project in the contest.
I’d just simplify: “Anyone may enter a project in the contest.”
Chelsey
http://familycrouch.blogspot.com
I’m paid to edit and I can assure you that I would never leave this sentence as is. I’d change it to, “Anyone may enter a project in the contest.” or “Anyone may submit a project for the contest.”
Ugh, silly grammar book.
how about: Anyone can enter his or her project…
I agree with Zelig.
I disagree with Chelsey because by saying “man or woman”, they’re making the distinction that it has to be adults submitting their project.
Well, if its in the book, it must be right. “They” can’t print it if it isn’t true.
I guess technically its a matter of agreement right? I’m not a grammar expert nor do I intend to become one, but this seems to me to be the easiest way to dissect it.
The subject isn’t collective. What is the subject? Its “man” right? “or woman” appears to be some type of clause (which I do not know the name of) which practically makes an exception or allowance (its not limited to men only).
The antecedent “his” modifies or refers to the subject “man” which is singular and masculine. Changing it to “their” wouldn’t work because its plural.
So I would say that it is correct grammar if anything like “correct grammar” exists at all. Although its a bit awkward.
I bet the regular commenter called “Mom” would know the technical answer.
It’s a year since I did my degree and I’ve forgotten a lot of syntax – however, I’m pretty sure that the subject is ‘man or woman’.
Just saying ‘a project’ changes the meaning – it takes away the possessive of ‘his’. So I think I’d stick with ‘his or her project’.
In linguistics, I’m a descriptivist, not a prescriptivist, so asking “is this grammatical” means “does this sound right to you”. On that count, the book certainly fails.
I think Michael Awbrey is correct about how most Americans would express that orally. In written form, you’ll get more variety.
I expect that in written English, the pronoun “they” will eventually be accepted as a semantic singular (though still a grammatical plural). It’s already a good way toward being correct spoken English. This would be very similar to what happened to “you”.
Michael Awbrey,
You hit the nail on the head, my friend.
Experiment in getting to the point:
Anyone may enter a project in the contest.
Unless man and woman is meant to restrict children, but under what age, 18, 21, 22?
I don’t have any good suggestions. I like Michael’s suggestion–but, what if they don’t want kids entering? It could be argued that the original “man or woman” excludes kids.
I also like Zelig’s “enter a project” suggestion. But I suppose that can open the door for entering a project that is not yours.
Seems like any way it’s worded requires a bit of assuming the sentence doesn’t mean something that it could be saying.
“Anybody may enter his project in the contest. ” The only gender neutral pronoun in the English language happens to also be the same as the masculine pronoun. It’s not chauvinism. Trust me.
It’s correct according to older forms of English. It’s incorrect according to newer rules regulating “sexism” in language. Even though English is West Germanic in origin, about 25% of the language is Latin-derived. Historically, this is one of the features we share with Romance languages: the masculine neutral.
To conform to newer, politically-correct standards, the sentence would have to be:
“Any man or woman may enter his or her project in the contest.”
But I’d leave it as it is. It’s correct as far as traditional English rules go and I’m a traditionalist.
Almost any of you may be correct. As I tell my ESL students, it depends on the context of the sentence. While the example passes the grammatical test, it fails in usage because very few people would say or write it.
I would write the sentence as, “Anyone may enter his project in the contest” or “The contest is open to anyone who has a project.” (If there is an age limit or other qualifications for the contest, I would address them in a different sentence.) In speaking, I would choose “his or her” or “their.” The latter is the most common in the SE Kansas/NE Oklahoma area where I live.
Trevor,
What you say was true. A time is coming and may already be here where it is true no longer, meaning that a majority of American English speakers do not consider the masculine (singular) pronoun to be generic. It’s fruitless to point to older semantics as “proof”. It would be like arguing that nice should mean stupid, or meat should mean food, or intercourse should mean interaction (as these words used to mean).
We can decry the change, but that won’t do much good, if any. Ask the French Academy how stopping language change is working out for them.
Because the man is first he’s the technical “subject” and the woman is an add-on – therefore the use of the world “his” is correct (at least as I learned it) It just sounds wrong.
Another example of properly written vs. proper sounding: The Saturday night live digital shorts.
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They always write “An SNL Digital Short” at the start and it drives me CRAZY because although “an” isn’t the proper way to write it, it sounds funny if you only use “a SNL…” because the letter “s” sounds like it starts with an “e” which is a vowel… ugh.
Sorry. Rabbit trail now ended! ;)
Jonathon – It isn’t outdated usage to say that “his” is understood as gender neutral – about a month ago Desiring God posted an example from a speech by Obama that used it that way. Nobody was confused.
In this sentence it is simply unclear. The “his” is awkward because of the “any” I think – I’m still not sure who “his” would relate to. It sounds to specific to refer to “any” person – any person who has his project? “Any” sounds like it needs to be followed by “a project” (or if it is trying to say it has the be the person’s own project, something like “his own”, “his or her own” might sound better to me though) – “his” is too specific, it sounds like it relates to a specific project (that one – “his project”), not just any project that any man or woman might enter.
I suppose it is correct but I would say “his or her”
“How would you correct this peculiar sentence…or is it right?”
It looks ok, although the ellipsis is a bit awkward. At any rate I don’t find it peculiar.
Isn’t it amazing how something as seemingly insignificant as choosing a neuter pronoun can indicate your gender views?
It is a little strange because we don’t usually think of ‘man’ and ‘woman’ as classes of people – but as genders. This sentence would be completely normal if they said:
So to our ears this sentence sounds strange because of the way the speaker is using traditionally gender-specific words. Drop the gender classes from the beginning of the sentence and no one would (should) have a problem with it.
@mrsmanz, the article is based on how it’s read verbally, so it actually IS “An SNL Short” …
And the thing I didn’t see mentioned was the sometimes-required distinction between proper grammar and common usage. This is an example of that.
You wouldn’t say “any man or woman may enter their project in the contest,” because that refers to an apparently unidentified group of people, and we’re talking about individuals.
You also wouldn’t say “any man or woman may enter his or her project in the contest,” because that implies that either the gender of each entrant is in question, or that perhaps “he” can enter “her” project or “she” can enter “his” project into the contest.
The most accurate and concise way to say this is as it began: any man or woman may enter his project in the contest.
technically, it is correct.
awkward, but correct.
“his or her” or “his/her” would be more commonly used, but choosing one is also correct.
It is right, so long as she is entering his project, and not one of her own. Presumably, that’s against the rules.
Anyone may enter his project in the contest.
correct it however you want . . . just don’t say what that grammar book said, unless you want people to think you’re a moron.
:]
How about,
“Men and women who enter contests are overachievers compensating for the lack of nurturing as children.”
i’m kidding. put down your chains and torches. contests are really, really cool.
Someone has already mentioned that Michael Awbrey’s solution is incorrect based on the subject not being plural. This is proven by the fact that the project being entered belongs to an individual, not a group.
I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong…
I believe some are confusing a compound subject with a plural subject.
As for the gender thing; I wouldn’t state it that way. While being ‘correct,’ it seems insensitive.
Anyone may enter his or her project into the contest.
As for they/their being “incorrect” for a singular subject, writers as accomplished and as time-tested as Shakespeare and Jane Austen fairly frequently used they/their for what are ostensibly singular subjects.
Shakespeare:
There’s not a man I meet but doth salute me / As if I were their well-acquainted friend — The Comedy of Errors, Act IV, Scene 3 (1594)
Austen:
I would have everybody marry if they can do it properly. — Mansfield Park
Thanks Jonathan. You beat me to the comment I wanted to make and saved me some googling.
This sentence cannot be corrected without knowing what the writer intended to communicate.
It all depends upon whether the word “his” refers to a third party. If it does, then the sentence is OK, if it doesn’t, the sentence needs to be corrected.
There is no way of knowing the intended meaning – therefore there is no way of knowing if a correction is needed.
“Any man or woman may enter his project in the contest, but don’t be surprised if the winner is a friend of one of the organizers.”
Any man or woman may enter his or her project in the contest.
I have no problem with his or her when it doesn’t sound ridiculously burdensome and it doesn’t here.
Also…
Any man or woman may enter their project in the context.
I don’t have a problem with a disagreement in number as long as it is understood conventionally. It’s not like we don’t have other exceptions.
In this case I think the masculine possessive just doesn’t work.
—Paging through a grammar book—
That’s what caught my attention.
(I love it!)
Took me a minute to figure out what the issue was. But I think I would probably say ‘their’ instead of ‘his’. I would probably write ‘his or her’ if i was trying to impress someone.
His should be changed to their.
jennapants,
I love looking through the comments to see what you’re going to say – you make me laugh every time!
Ha!
When things get this dicey in my own writing, I often scrap the questionable wording and opt for a redo that avoids it. I figure if it’s that confusing to me, it may stand out to (and therefore distract) others.
Also, am I silly to think the men and women are the ones entering? For example, why could we not just write something like:
“Any man or woman may enter the contest with a project?” Though that doesn’t sound right either…
I also agree that to be totally correct, one would have to know the writer’s intent.
P.S. My head swims when 22 Words is about anything relating to grammar. Nothing like a good head churn.
I don’t feel like reading above comments, I’m about to go to bed.
But, as it is it is technically correct.
Following in the path of the linguists at Language Log, I would probably switch “his” to the singular “their.” (I know, “their” is not singular, but here it is, it is the way it is used.)
Just add some commas:
Any man, or woman, may enter his project in the contest.
I have heard rumors that the rules are changing and the more commonly used, “their” would be acceptable. Maybe it doesn’t agree with the double-singular subject but it sounds better.
Trouble is, then you would have to pluralize “projects.” That may be confusing, if, in this case there is a one-project limit per person. Perhaps there will become formal and informal versions of accepted grammar in this kind of case.
Wow. While I have no problem with the gender neutral “his”, I really don’t like being relegated to a parenthetical phrase!
Wow! Only Les is correct. Unless we see the complete context of the subject matter in which this sentence is written, there is no way to know the writer’s intention. Unreal how many posts about this subject! Oh, and Shakepeare and Austen are using man, (or everybody in Auten’s case) in the context of “family of man” or the species of man…not an individual, generally speaking. I teach ESL and I always tell the students how they will hear something spoken in common language, and how they will read it in more formal language. There is a HUGE difference.
How about, ” The contest has been cancelled due to the faltering economy?”
;o)