Grammar question (from a math person)

[Glenn's Take]

If gender is unknown within the construct of a sentence, wasn't I taught back in the 80's to use the masculine version? Did that change somewhere?

I'm a math person. My English sucks. Get over it.

 

[funKYcat75]

Example?

 

[Glenn's Take]

The (blank) ran home.

 

[Gassy_Knowls]

The (blank) ran home.

that’s a racist take, glen

 

[BlueVelvetFog]

The (blank) ran home.

The ***** ran home. (Go w fem.)

 

[KRJ1975]

If gender is unknown within the construct of a sentence, wasn't I taught back in the 80's to use the masculine version? Did that change somewhere?

I'm a math person. My English sucks. Get over it.

I believe the correct non gender specific syntax would be “they ran home.”

 

[Drcats2025]

The (blank) ran home.

The person ran home. The human being ran home. The two legged organism ran home.

 

[812scottj]

The non-binary thing slithered home and voted Democrat

 

[stuway]

7 whole posts b4 politics jumped in....not bad these days.

Good at math huh, braggart take Glenn

 

[justanotherguy505]

The (blank) ran home.

The M*****f***** ran home.

 

[Glenn's Take]

Let me try this again. I would like to kick the crap out of the --- that created those cloverleaf ramps on the Snyder.
I don't know who designed the Snyder freeway. If I remember my English class from 40 years ago, I should use guy, man or whatever masculine version goes there. Was that ever correct and has that changed?

 

[Kaizer Sosay]

Let me try this again. I would like to kick the crap out of the --- that created those cloverleaf ramps on the Snyder.
I don't know who designed the Snyder freeway. If I remember my English class from 40 years ago, I should use guy, man or whatever masculine version goes there. Was that ever correct and has that changed?

person
individual
engineer

 

[Glenn's Take]

person
individual
engineer

I understand those would all work. I'm just asking if I'm remembering my schooling right.

 

[blubo]

The ***** ran home. (Go w fem.)

I was taught in shool that ***** can be either masc. or fem.

 

[Kaizer Sosay]

I understand those would all work. I'm just asking if I'm remembering my schooling right.

idiot
dumbass

Would also be acceptable especially considering the subject matter.

Also, judging by your posting history your schooling was atrocious. So don’t rely on that. Best if you just keep asking questions here on the catspaw to get the correct answers.

 

[uky8unc5]

OP...who is the Official Keeper of "Grammar Rules"??

The Answer is: there is no one.
Instead Grammar changes as people change their colloquial speech and writing habits.

So what I was taught in the 1950's was not taught to you in the 1980's.
Just as definitions of Words change, Grammar Rules evolve, too.

 

[Glenn's Take]

OP...who is the Official Keeper of "Grammar Rules"??

The Answer is: there is no one.
Instead Grammar changes as people change their colloquial speech and writing habits.

So what I was taught in the 1950's was not taught to you in the 1980's.
Just as definitions of Words change, Grammar Rules evolve, too.

Yeah, that's why I always liked math better. In math you either got the answer right or wrong. The teacher couldn't just take off points because they didn't like you. English teachers can do that when grading an essay.
Speaking of definitions changing, here's one for you. Man O War ran in 21 races and won 20 of them. Who beat him? Upset did and before that upset just meant you were mad about something. After that, it still had that meaning but also meant that the team that wasn't supposed to win won.

 

[UKGrad93]

If gender is unknown within the construct of a sentence, wasn't I taught back in the 80's to use the masculine version? Did that change somewhere?

I'm a math person. My English sucks. Get over it.

I know what I was taught. I don’t know what you were taught.

 

[WayneDougan_rivals170043]

"They" is considered acceptable now. I still go with "he/she" in work emails as I think "they" makes you sound like an idiot.

 

[uky8unc5]

"They" is considered acceptable now. I still go with "he/she" in work emails as I think "they" makes you sound like an idiot.

"Writer's Privilege" is a Grammar Rule.
When communicating, the key is getting what is in your head into other heads.

 

[jwheat]

OP...who is the Official Keeper of "Grammar Rules"??

The Answer is: there is no one.
Instead Grammar changes as people change their colloquial speech and writing habits.

So what I was taught in the 1950's was not taught to you in the 1980's.
Just as definitions of Words change, Grammar Rules evolve, too.

I was under the impression that funky was

 

[wildcatsboston1984_rivals]

The person ran home. The human being ran home. The two legged organism ran home.

What if one or both legs have been amputated?

 

[Col. Angus]

Just make sure you use “a” and not “er” and you’re good.

 

[Drcats2025]

What if one or both legs have been amputated?

The person went home the best way they knew how.

 

[Brushy Creek Cat]

The bipedal mammal ran home.

 

[BlueVelvetFog]

I treat each email like it’s 1960. Never use “she” unless it’s a boat, hurricane or dead hooker

 

[Pickle_Rick]

I flunked math. The teacer asked me the difference between 3/8ths, and 5/8ths. I said, "Yeah, teach! That's what I wanna know too? What's the f#%%--^^ difference?" I didn't know you could flunk a semester of math the very first day.