UWF WRITING LAB

Using Politically Correct (PC)
And Non-sexist Language
By Mamie Webb Hixon, Writing Lab Director

1.   Avoid gender-biased pronouns. With generic  
      antecedents such as person or student, use his or 
      her and he or she: A student should make good 
      grades if he or she studies hard.
2.   Avoid using trendy "pronouns" such as s/he,  
      he(she), s[he], s/his, or (s)he.
3.   Use the phrases his or her and he or she sparingly 
      to risk writing sentences such as If any employee 
      needs his or her decal, he or she must bring his 
      or her receipt with him or her.
4.   If necessary, recast the sentence by changing the 
      singular antecedent to a plural.
      A student should make good grades if he or she 
      studies hard.
      Students should make good grades if they study 
      hard.
5.   Alternate between the singular masculine and 
      feminine pronouns if the result is not confusing or 
      cumbersome.
      The American worker is the most productive 
      person in the whole world: he's a taxpayer, and 
      she's also a consumer.
6.   Replace masculine or feminine pronouns with one or 
      you, when appropriate: You should make good 
      grades if you study hard.
7.   Substitute other words for "man" words.

Sexist Usage	PC Usage
businessman/woman	business associate/person
mankind	people, human beings, humanity
mailman	mail carrier
chairman	chair or chairperson
salesman	sales associate
fireman	fire fighter
policeman	police officer

      Use moderation, however, to avoid usage such as  
      these:
      Person the lifeboats
      Personhole cover
8.   Substitute gender-neutral words for gender-biased   
      words.

Sexist Usage	PC Usage
stewardess	flight attendant
waiter/waitress	server
actor/actress	actor

9.   Include both male and female reference points.

Sexist Usage	PC Usage
You and your spouse	You and your guest
Dear Sir/Dear Sirs        (for an all-male        organization only)	Dear Sir or Madam or Dear Madam or Sir
employees and wives	employees and guests/    companions/ partners
Naval Officers' Wives        Club	Naval Officers' Spouses Club

10. Use women and men instead of girls and boys or 
      gals and guys when referring to adults.

Notice in the first sentence that the verb take ran smack into the noun candy. However, the article in the second sentence signaled that a noun was approaching, and a collision of words was avoided.
     Because all nouns are not created equal, two types of articles are available for use: the definite article and the indefinite article. "What's the difference?" you ask. The definite article is the word the. It knows without a doubt what noun is approaching; thus, it is definite. The indefinite articles, the words a and an, really don't care what noun is approaching, so the articles don't bother to check. That's why a and an are called indefinite articles; they didn't bother to look, so they are unsure or indefinite. Note the difference in the two types of articles:

Did you take the cookie? This is a definite article in action. Notice it wasn't just any cookie. It was the cookie.
Did you take a cookie? This is an indefinite article. Notice how it didn't tell you which one. It didn't care which cookie, just a cookie.

     The trouble with articles is that uncountable nouns are particularly menacing and frighten away indefinite articles. That is why you will never find an indefinite article preceding an uncountable noun. On the other hand, definite articles are not easily intimidated and can be used with countable nouns. Here are a few examples of the uncountable nouns and how definite articles, not indefinite, will warn the approach:

The air is polluted	but not	An air is polluted.
The sand is hot	but not	A sand is hot.
I live in the South	but not	I live in a South.

     So the next time you are reading a sentence, look for those articles because they are there to warn you that a noun is approaching.