"It's simple. Anyone - student, parent, grandparent or graduate can enter on behalf of themselves or their family members and friends."
This was on the website of a major company. Don't you think that they could shell out the money to hire an editor. . . or at least a poverty-stricken English teacher. . . .to read the copy before it goes to print? And in addition to the horrific p-a-a error, I'd really like to know what happened to the other end of the dash!
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Pronoun/antecedent agreement has become troublesome as a result of rampant antisexist political correctness. "Themselves" is bad, and "themself" is totally unacceptable. But I've come to the point at which I just don't mark off for "their" when it is used to refer to "everyone." The problem, of course, is that multiple instances of "his or her" or "him or her" make the sentence so cumbersome. I do explain in class that according to the conventions of standard formal English "everyone" is singular, but that is so counter-intuitive and even counter-logical that most people even in professional and public positions use the plural possessive pronoun for "everyone."
Of course, I don't allow the same latitude when the antecedent is clearly and logically singular, such as "a student" or "one of the ..."
Say it ain't so, Mr. Sellers!
I figure if him/her becomes too cumbersome, the sentence can be revised to be written in the plural to agree with a plural pronoun.
Perhaps, though, it would be easier on my blood pressure to simply work toward acceptance. . .
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