Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site lanl.ARPA
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!mhuxn!mhuxm!mhuxi!mhuxh!mhuxv!mhuxt!mhuxr!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!cmcl2!lanl!jlg
From: jlg@lanl.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Re: Gender-Specific Pronouns
Message-ID: <20974@lanl.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 4-Feb-85 17:02:57 EST
Article-I.D.: lanl.20974
Posted: Mon Feb  4 17:02:57 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 9-Feb-85 04:36:41 EST
References: <1939@inmet.UUCP>
Sender: newsreader@lanl.ARPA
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lines: 26

> > A:  Ms. Johnson's secretary says that they will come by tomorrow.
> > B:  Are both Ms. Johnson and her secretary coming?
> 
> Good point, but
>   A: Mr. Johnson's secretary says that he will come by tomorrow.
>   B: Which one is coming?
> 
> [Or even better:
>   A: Dr. Who's assistant says that he will come by tomorrow.
>   B: Who's coming?
>   A: No.
> ]

Very good. But there is no way to salvage the first sentence, the ambiguity
of the second is easy.

    A: Mr. Johnson's secretary is coming by.  He will come tomorrow.
    B: That's good.

The third is equally easy.

    A: Dr. Who's assistant is coming by.  He will come by tomorrow.
    B: Dr. Who usually has a female assistant.  What's the gender of this one.


  J. Giles