Quote:
Originally Posted by stuartjmz
Why not? What makes a usage that has persisted for 700 years or more wrong, other than personal antipathy/distaste?
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The same thing that makes it wrong to misuse its/it's or effect/affect or they're/their/there. The same thing that makes it wrong to use nonstandard spelling. We have rules to ensure clarity of expression and ease of understanding.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gmw
The problem with such limited examples is that they do not really explore the problem. Write a 500 page novel and you'll get a better idea. If you could be tempted with science-fiction (which I know you can't) I would suggest you look at Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer for a more comprehensive example of what is involved. I didn't enjoy it, didn't even manage to finish it, but it was an interesting example of exactly this problem, and I respect the work it must have taken. Until you've attempted something like it you can't judge the difficulties involved.
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I have not written a 500-page novel, but I've been the copyeditor for way more than 500 novels over the years. Rarely is a workaround needed to avoid "her or she" or "s/he"; those constructions simply don't come up--unless in dialog or a first-person narration, and I've already said that's completely acceptable.
If SF is different, if an SF author wants to create a world with its own language rules and conceits, that's fine too, as long as it's internally consistent and logical.