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