The purpose of a pronoun is to take the place or refer back to a noun in a sentence. Just like subjects and verbs, nouns and pronouns should agree in number within a sentence.
When writing a sentence, using the same word more than once can get repetitive.
Remember to find the true subject of the sentence to determine if the pronoun should be singular or plural. See our webpage on subject–verb agreement for more on singular and plural subjects.
Recently, many academic and popular publications have started accepting the use of the pronoun "they" as a singular pronoun, meaning writers use "they" to correspond to singular subjects in an effort to avoid gendered pronouns. Although the pronoun "they" is only a plural pronoun in some style guides, APA encourages writers to use "they" as a singular or plural pronoun with the specific intention of embracing gender diversity.
According to the APA Style blog, “when transgender and gender nonconforming people (including agender, genderqueer, and other communities) use the singular "they" as their pronoun, writers should likewise use the singular "they" when writing about them” (para. 1).
With this understanding in mind, when writers are specifically writing about a person or group of people who prefer the singular "they," writers should also use the singular "they." Where relevant, we recommend writers explicitly explain that they are using the singular "they" to follow the self-identifications of the people they are discussing.
Additionally, writers can often avoid the issue of gender-neutral singular pronouns by revising a sentence to make the subject plural:
Original sentence: A teacher should carefully choose professional development opportunities that address her gaps in knowledge.
Revised sentence: Teachers should carefully choose professional development opportunities that address their gaps in knowledge.
When the subject of the sentence is plural, the pronoun in the sentence becomes plural as well.
Remember to find the true subject of the sentence to determine if the pronoun should be singular or plural. See our webpage on subject–verb agreement for more on singular and plural subjects.
Although pronouns are useful to help writers avoid repetition, they should be used sparingly to keep the meaning of the sentence clear. Take a look at this sentence:
Walden University is an inclusive institution that serves a diverse population of students. Committed to broadening the university’s understanding of inclusivity and diversity, Walden accepts gender-neutral pronouns in student writing. This practice acknowledges APA’s endorsement of the singular "they" and embraces alternative pronouns currently in circulation (e.g., the nominatives xe, ve, ze/zir, ey, and zhe and their associated derivations). Walden recognizes that discussion around gender identity is ongoing. As such, the university will accept any pronoun in student writing so long as evidence can be provided that it is accepted as a respectful term by the community it represents.
Note that these videos were created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines.