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> A mark of 'good' English is a lack of unnecessary detail - or so I've heard. Good English is largely about making choices least likely to confuse or annoy o

• Festro 5y ago
  Nobody can predict what will confuse or annoy their audience. True that people will try not to go out of their way to confuse or annoy their audience. If gender neutral pronouns confuse or annoy people I really don't think that's the author's fault. That's far more on the ignorance of the reader. Do people who don't understand gender neutral pronouns get similarly confused and annoyed when they see a word they haven't seen before? That's a frustrating existence if true.
  • handrous 5y ago
    > Nobody can predict what will confuse or annoy their audience. Perfectly? No. Good writers manage to do it most of the time, nonetheless. "Do whatever's most-normal" is a good rule to follow, absent anything else. If that rule had been followed, we wouldn't have this whole unfortunate thread. > Do people who don't understand gender neutral pronouns get similarly confused and annoyed when they see a word they haven't seen before? That's a frustrating existence if true. This is about breaking expectations, not failure to understand gender-neutral pronouns. You applied them in an unusual context.