They stands in for more than one
When you are talking about two or more, use they.
“The ducks left the pond. They flew south.”
“Ava and Leo built a fort. They used every blanket.”
It does not matter what they are
This is the easy part. “They” works for people, animals, and things, all the same way.
| Naming word | Pronoun |
|---|---|
| my sisters | they |
| six ducks | they |
| the kites | they |
| Ava and Leo | they |
One word covers all of it. Compare that to the naming part, where you had to choose between he and she and it.
Two names count as more than one
Look at the last row. “Ava and Leo” is two people, so the pronoun is “they” and not “she” or “he”.
“Ava and Leo walked home. They took the long way.”
Count the people first. Two or more means “they” every time.
When you do not know
Sometimes you write about a person without knowing whether to use he or she.
“Somebody left a coat here. They will come back for it.”
Using “they” for one person you cannot name is normal in English and always has been. It is useful when you simply do not know.
A mistake to watch for
Using “he” or “she” for a group is the common slip.
“The ducks flew south. He went to a warm place.” is wrong.
“The ducks flew south. They went to a warm place.” is right.
Look back at the naming word and count before you choose.
Your turn
Which pronoun fits?
- “My shoes are wet. ____ are by the door.”
- “Ben and Ava rode bikes. ____ went around the block.”
- “The beetle crawled away. ____ went under a rock.”
Check your answers
- “They are by the door.”
- “They went around the block.”
- “It went under a rock.”
Remember
- They stands in for more than one.
- It works for people and animals and things.
- Two names together take they.