Module 3 · APA 4.18

Singular "They"

What pronoun do you use for a researcher you've never met, a participant you're keeping anonymous, or a hypothetical "student"? APA's answer is they — endorsed as a fully grammatical singular pronoun whenever gender is unknown or irrelevant.

When to Use Singular "They"

Use "they" (and "them," "their," "themselves") to refer to a single person when:

1. The person's gender is unknown — a cited researcher, an anonymous participant, an unnamed source:

Researcher, gender unknown Nguyen (2023) surveyed 200 students; they also conducted follow-up interviews.

Anonymous participant One participant said they had never discussed money with their parents.

2. The person is hypothetical or generic — "a student," "each child," "any teacher":

Generic person When a child starts kindergarten, they must adjust to new routines.

3. The person uses "they" as their pronoun. Always use the pronouns a person identifies with — this one isn't optional.

Never Assume the Researcher's Gender

You know a cited author only as a surname. Writing "he" or "she" based on a name is a guess — and often wrong:

Assumed gender Delgado (2024) analyzed the diaries after she collected them.

Safe and correct Delgado (2024) analyzed the diaries after they collected them.

Often the cleanest fix is to avoid the pronoun entirely with a pointer phrase from the citation module: "Delgado (2024) collected the diaries and then analyzed them," or "the researcher analyzed the diaries after collecting them."

Retire "He or She"

Older APA writing handled unknown gender with combinations — "he or she," "s/he," "(s)he," or alternating "he" in one paragraph and "she" in the next. APA 7 says to stop: these forms are clunky and exclude people who use other pronouns.

Outdated Each participant recorded his or her mood before he or she went to sleep.

Singular "they" Each participant recorded their mood before they went to sleep.

Also fine: make it plural Participants recorded their moods before they went to sleep.

Verb Agreement: "They Are," Even for One Person

Singular "they" takes plural verb forms, just like singular "you" does. Write "they are," "they were," "they have" — even when "they" refers to one person:

Wrong The participant said they was unsure of the instructions.

Correct The participant said they were unsure of the instructions.

Likewise, use "themselves" (or "themself," which APA also accepts) — never "theirselves."

Practice

Question 1

You're citing Okafor (2023) and don't know the researcher's gender. Which sentence is best?

Question 2

Which revision best fixes: "Every student should bring his or her laptop to class"?

Question 3

Which sentence uses correct verb agreement with singular "they"?

🧑‍🔬 Singular "They"