wtf?

[clauditorium]

From document I just proofread:

Employee observed consuming wild berries growing within CA2

An employee was walking to lunch from Controlled Area 2 (CA2) when they witnessed another employee picking and eating wild raspberries from the side of the road next to Building 200 (inside CA2).

Comments

[theotherqpc.livejournal.com]

ohemgee, subject-pronoun agreement FTL.

[clauditorium.livejournal.com]

An employee/they?

[theotherqpc.livejournal.com]

An employee = singular
they = plural

i know it's somewhat acceptable in common parlance to use the third person plural as a gender-neutral third person singular pronoun, but it just drives me nuts. not that the alternatives roll off the tongue (just how *do* you pronounce "s/he"?), but i have strange ticks.

i'm not a grammar nazi, as evidenced by my difficulties with capitalization (i'm selectively lazy); i will, however, spread for a man who knows how to use adverbs!

[clauditorium.livejournal.com]

Well, I AM a grammar nazi - it's even my job! - and that use of "they" sticks in my craw too. But I was only proofreading the French version of that passage.