American English is declining rapidly and alarmingly, but
speakers across the pond make grammatical errors, as well.
The first child of Prince William and his wife Kate will be
born in 2013.
Speaking of the changes to succession rules to give royal
girls an equal opportunity, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said, “Whether the
baby is a boy or a girl, they will have an equal claim to the throne.”
“They” is not the appropriate pronoun, unless Will and Kate
are expecting twins. “They” is not a neutral word to use when the sex of the
individual is not known. “They” is
plural. A better way for the deputy
prime minister to have stated this exciting development would have been,
“Whatever the sex of the baby, he or she will have an equal claim to the
throne.”
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