Reduce gender bias in writing with thoughtful use of pronouns.
If you know the gender identity of the person you are writing about, use the appropriate pronoun when you refer to them (e.g., they, she, he, etc.).
Not acceptable (only male pronouns for unknown subject/antecedent): “an effective teacher provides clear feedback to his students”
Acceptable (appropriate pronoun to reflect known gender identity): “Elijah is an effective teacher who provides clear feedback to his students.”
To ensure your language is inclusive and equitable, avoid use of binary pronouns (‘his or her’) in reference to unknown subjects. Instead you can refer to the subjects by name or with the epicene, or gender-neutral “they” or “their.” In some instances, it will also work to pluralize subjects/antecedents where you use the pronoun “they.”
Not acceptable (binary pronouns for unknown subject/antecedent): “an effective teacher provides clear feedback to his or her students”
Acceptable (epicene/singular they): “an effective teacher provides clear feedback to their students.”
Acceptable plural form: "effective teachers provide clear feedback to their students."
Not one of the students received an A on their paper. [Incorrect sentence]
The above is something we might say, but it is wrong in formal, grammatically correct writing because it doesn't make logical sense: 'one' is singular and 'their' is plural.
Not one of the students received an A on his or her paper. [Correct but awkward]
In the above example, what is correct is also awkward. Sometimes it may be best to revise the sentence so that the antecedent is in the plural so the pronoun can also be plural:
All of the students received less than A on their papers. [Correct sentence]