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I think you did misunderstand me -- that is exactly what I said. 'My friend Johanna _is_ non-binary and _uses_ "they" pronouns.' The subject is "Johanna". It is a reference to a person who uses "they" pronouns, but the verbs are singular, "is" and "uses". Similarly, if you just used the phrase "my friend" as a reference to the non-binary Johana, the verb would be singular: 'My friend _is_ non-binary and _uses_ "they" pronouns.' But a pronoun referring to the same person elsewhere in the sentence would be plural to match their preference, producing a singular verb but plural pronoun: 'My friend walks to _their_ car. So, if the subject is a name, title, or other noun phrase (such as "my friend") referring to an individual who uses "they" pronouns, you use a singular verb, but would use the plural "they", "their", "their's", etc. if a pronoun referred to the individual elsewhere in the same sentence. But if the subject is a _pronoun_ referring to a person who uses "they" pronouns, the verb is plural form to match the plural pronoun. 'They _are_ vegan.' Vs. 'Johanna _is_ vegan.' Steve McDonald [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Code for Libraries <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Emily H. Sent: Tuesday, June 7, 2022 5:06 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Grammar Checker - sites > > I misspoke a bit about individuals who use "they" pronouns. The > pronouns for them would always be plural. The verb gets more > complicated. If the subject is a plural pronoun, the verb would also > be plural, but if the subject is a name, title, or phrase referencing > an individual, the verb would be singular. I'm not sure if I'm misunderstanding you, but this has not been my experience with individuals who use "they" pronouns - the verb is conjugated to agree with plural "they," even when the subject is singular. e.g. My friend Johanna is non-binary and uses "they" pronouns. They are vegan. They enjoy foraging for mushrooms and wild plants. On Tue, Jun 7, 2022 at 3:43 PM McDonald, Stephen <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I misspoke a bit about individuals who use "they" pronouns. The > pronouns for them would always be plural. The verb gets more > complicated. If the subject is a plural pronoun, the verb would also > be plural, but if the subject is a name, title, or phrase referencing > an individual, the verb would be singular. So you can get a mix of > singular verb and plural pronoun in those cases, which a grammar checker is not going to get right. > > The moral of the story, though, is that auto-grammar correctors will > not be perfect, so don't trust them completely. > > Steve McDonald > [log in to unmask] > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Code for Libraries <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of > charles meyer > Sent: Tuesday, June 7, 2022 4:04 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: [CODE4LIB] Grammar Checker - sites > > Hi my esteemed listmates, > > I was wondering which sites others use to check for grammar? > > Grammar Girl and Grammar.com don't seem to allow you to type in a > phrase to check on its grammar. > > Ex. The community is invited to share their thoughts... > > Is that the correct matching of singular/plural nouns with pronouns? > > Thank you? > > Charles. > > Charles Meyer > Charlotte County Public Library > Port Charlotte, FL >