Which is correct, “They are students” or “They are a student”?
Which is correct: "They are students" or "They are a student"?
Additionally, which of the following is correct: "They may be either a male or a female" OR "They may be either males or females"? Thank you!
6 Answers
Actually, all of these sentences are correct because it is possible for “they” to have a singular meaning as a generic unspecified person (at least in the US). But usually we assume it’s plural unless there’s some context that forces the singular interpretation.
Example: If a person walks into your office and they are a student…
When a customer comes in, they may be either a male or a female.
That’s why some people are saying “they may be either a male or a female” is OK, but the same reasoning applies to “they are a student”.
They are students is correct because it refers to more than one student. For the singular student you would have to say He/She is a student
They may be either males or females is better,because they is plural.
Hope this helps
Dec 29, 2024
They are students is correct. They may be either males or females is correct
Dec 15, 2024
‘They’ denotes plural,i.e, more than one person.
hence,unless the sentence otherwise specifies it should be students / males females.
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