3 ms·
You're not getting it. It's not correct because it's plural. It's correct because most people agree that it's correct. If every english speaker on earth simult
by normloman 13y ago
You're not getting it.
It's not correct because it's plural. It's correct because most people agree that it's correct. If every english speaker on earth simultaneously decided that "xivuewq" was the correct reflexive form, that's what we would use.
Now in my experience, even when people use the singular "they," most people use "themselves" as the reflexive in that context. A few might use "themself," but they are in the minority. Best to use the widely accepted "themselves" in formal writing, then.
- gr3yh47 13y agoActually, you're not getting it. While the use of 'them' and 'themselves' is increasingly acceptable informally, it still violates basic rules of plurality that most people agree upon, and is thus formally incorrect.
- normloman 13y agoNo. you're still not getting it. Violating basic rules that everyone agrees on happens all the time. It's called irregularity, and English is full of it. Irregular plurals are common, and correct, because they have fallen into common usage.
- gr3yh47 13y agoYou are incorrectly equivocating informally acceptable with formally correct.
- normloman 13y agoWhat I'm trying to tell you is there's no formally correct in English. There's no Academy of English that tells people how to speak. What's right is what most people say. Most people say "themselves."
- gr3yh47 13y agohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_written_English http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_written_English