What are the differences between the usage of 'it' and 'they'?Difference or similarity between today, these days and nowadaysDistinction between singular “like” and plural “likes”That vs Which in plural contextsDo we have two “any pronouns”- one is plural and the other is singular?Omission of “from which”“something which” or “something that”Where is the word “commodity” used?Antecedent of pronounWhat is meant by “Singular rejection”What's different between “so … that” and “so that” sentence

Are the number of citations and number of published articles the most important criteria for a tenure promotion?

How much RAM could one put in a typical 80386 setup?

Accidentally leaked the solution to an assignment, what to do now? (I'm the prof)

Python: next in for loop

Can a Warlock become Neutral Good?

Can I ask the recruiters in my resume to put the reason why I am rejected?

What defenses are there against being summoned by the Gate spell?

Why do falling prices hurt debtors?

Why dont electromagnetic waves interact with each other?

Why do I get two different answers for this counting problem?

Why can't I see bouncing of a switch on an oscilloscope?

I’m planning on buying a laser printer but concerned about the life cycle of toner in the machine

Email Account under attack (really) - anything I can do?

Approximately how much travel time was saved by the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869?

Why was the small council so happy for Tyrion to become the Master of Coin?

Why are 150k or 200k jobs considered good when there are 300k+ births a month?

TGV timetables / schedules?

"You are your self first supporter", a more proper way to say it

Why not use SQL instead of GraphQL?

What's the output of a record cartridge playing an out-of-speed record

Why "Having chlorophyll without photosynthesis is actually very dangerous" and "like living with a bomb"?

Is it legal for company to use my work email to pretend I still work there?

Problem of parity - Can we draw a closed path made up of 20 line segments...

Adding span tags within wp_list_pages list items



What are the differences between the usage of 'it' and 'they'?


Difference or similarity between today, these days and nowadaysDistinction between singular “like” and plural “likes”That vs Which in plural contextsDo we have two “any pronouns”- one is plural and the other is singular?Omission of “from which”“something which” or “something that”Where is the word “commodity” used?Antecedent of pronounWhat is meant by “Singular rejection”What's different between “so … that” and “so that” sentence






.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;








1















I need to understand the following with respect to correct grammar not everyday usage:

1. The number to the antecedent that both pronouns can refer to (Singular/Plural)

2. Can the pronouns refer to living and non-living creatures both?

3. Any other rules that distinguish the two.










share|improve this question









New contributor




ayushi grover is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.















  • 1





    Correct grammar and everyday usage: enlighten me as far as the difference between the two goes. Of course, I assume that by everyday usage you're referring to English as spoken by native speakers of English, and not, say, the majority of Indians or Chinese.

    – userr2684291
    5 hours ago

















1















I need to understand the following with respect to correct grammar not everyday usage:

1. The number to the antecedent that both pronouns can refer to (Singular/Plural)

2. Can the pronouns refer to living and non-living creatures both?

3. Any other rules that distinguish the two.










share|improve this question









New contributor




ayushi grover is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.















  • 1





    Correct grammar and everyday usage: enlighten me as far as the difference between the two goes. Of course, I assume that by everyday usage you're referring to English as spoken by native speakers of English, and not, say, the majority of Indians or Chinese.

    – userr2684291
    5 hours ago













1












1








1


1






I need to understand the following with respect to correct grammar not everyday usage:

1. The number to the antecedent that both pronouns can refer to (Singular/Plural)

2. Can the pronouns refer to living and non-living creatures both?

3. Any other rules that distinguish the two.










share|improve this question









New contributor




ayushi grover is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












I need to understand the following with respect to correct grammar not everyday usage:

1. The number to the antecedent that both pronouns can refer to (Singular/Plural)

2. Can the pronouns refer to living and non-living creatures both?

3. Any other rules that distinguish the two.







sentence-construction word-meaning pronouns relative-pronouns






share|improve this question









New contributor




ayushi grover is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question









New contributor




ayushi grover is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 5 hours ago









Don B.

1,776315




1,776315






New contributor




ayushi grover is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









asked 7 hours ago









ayushi groverayushi grover

61




61




New contributor




ayushi grover is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





New contributor





ayushi grover is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






ayushi grover is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.







  • 1





    Correct grammar and everyday usage: enlighten me as far as the difference between the two goes. Of course, I assume that by everyday usage you're referring to English as spoken by native speakers of English, and not, say, the majority of Indians or Chinese.

    – userr2684291
    5 hours ago












  • 1





    Correct grammar and everyday usage: enlighten me as far as the difference between the two goes. Of course, I assume that by everyday usage you're referring to English as spoken by native speakers of English, and not, say, the majority of Indians or Chinese.

    – userr2684291
    5 hours ago







1




1





Correct grammar and everyday usage: enlighten me as far as the difference between the two goes. Of course, I assume that by everyday usage you're referring to English as spoken by native speakers of English, and not, say, the majority of Indians or Chinese.

– userr2684291
5 hours ago





Correct grammar and everyday usage: enlighten me as far as the difference between the two goes. Of course, I assume that by everyday usage you're referring to English as spoken by native speakers of English, and not, say, the majority of Indians or Chinese.

– userr2684291
5 hours ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















5














It is always singular, and hardly ever used of humans (some people refer to a baby whose sex they don't know as "it", but others find that offensive). It is often used of animals, but many people use "he" or "she" if they know the sex of the animal.



They is plural, and may refer to anything: people, animals, inanimate objects. Many people (including me) also use it in the singular to refer to a person when they don't know the person's gender, or are referring to an unspecified person who might be of any gender. Some people object to this use, but it has been around for centuries.



I don't remember ever having heard singular "they" used of an animal - most people would use "it" in such cases. As far as I know, singular "they" is never used for inanimate objects.






share|improve this answer


















  • 1





    Oh, I've heard it used for an animal - some people object to thinking about them as less than human, somehow.

    – SamBC
    6 hours ago











  • I use "they" for animals exclusively. At least for mammals, birds, and reptiles; I tend to lean towards "it" for insects. The exact line varies from person to person, some only using they for humans and some using it for humans and pets, others for all animate things, etc. Also of note is that singular they can be used for a specific nonbinary person as well, so it doesn't have to be an unspecified person or a person of unknown gender.

    – Hearth
    2 hours ago











Your Answer








StackExchange.ready(function()
var channelOptions =
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "481"
;
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
createEditor();
);

else
createEditor();

);

function createEditor()
StackExchange.prepareEditor(
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader:
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
,
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
);



);






ayushi grover is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.









draft saved

draft discarded


















StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fell.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f204215%2fwhat-are-the-differences-between-the-usage-of-it-and-they%23new-answer', 'question_page');

);

Post as a guest















Required, but never shown

























1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes








1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









5














It is always singular, and hardly ever used of humans (some people refer to a baby whose sex they don't know as "it", but others find that offensive). It is often used of animals, but many people use "he" or "she" if they know the sex of the animal.



They is plural, and may refer to anything: people, animals, inanimate objects. Many people (including me) also use it in the singular to refer to a person when they don't know the person's gender, or are referring to an unspecified person who might be of any gender. Some people object to this use, but it has been around for centuries.



I don't remember ever having heard singular "they" used of an animal - most people would use "it" in such cases. As far as I know, singular "they" is never used for inanimate objects.






share|improve this answer


















  • 1





    Oh, I've heard it used for an animal - some people object to thinking about them as less than human, somehow.

    – SamBC
    6 hours ago











  • I use "they" for animals exclusively. At least for mammals, birds, and reptiles; I tend to lean towards "it" for insects. The exact line varies from person to person, some only using they for humans and some using it for humans and pets, others for all animate things, etc. Also of note is that singular they can be used for a specific nonbinary person as well, so it doesn't have to be an unspecified person or a person of unknown gender.

    – Hearth
    2 hours ago















5














It is always singular, and hardly ever used of humans (some people refer to a baby whose sex they don't know as "it", but others find that offensive). It is often used of animals, but many people use "he" or "she" if they know the sex of the animal.



They is plural, and may refer to anything: people, animals, inanimate objects. Many people (including me) also use it in the singular to refer to a person when they don't know the person's gender, or are referring to an unspecified person who might be of any gender. Some people object to this use, but it has been around for centuries.



I don't remember ever having heard singular "they" used of an animal - most people would use "it" in such cases. As far as I know, singular "they" is never used for inanimate objects.






share|improve this answer


















  • 1





    Oh, I've heard it used for an animal - some people object to thinking about them as less than human, somehow.

    – SamBC
    6 hours ago











  • I use "they" for animals exclusively. At least for mammals, birds, and reptiles; I tend to lean towards "it" for insects. The exact line varies from person to person, some only using they for humans and some using it for humans and pets, others for all animate things, etc. Also of note is that singular they can be used for a specific nonbinary person as well, so it doesn't have to be an unspecified person or a person of unknown gender.

    – Hearth
    2 hours ago













5












5








5







It is always singular, and hardly ever used of humans (some people refer to a baby whose sex they don't know as "it", but others find that offensive). It is often used of animals, but many people use "he" or "she" if they know the sex of the animal.



They is plural, and may refer to anything: people, animals, inanimate objects. Many people (including me) also use it in the singular to refer to a person when they don't know the person's gender, or are referring to an unspecified person who might be of any gender. Some people object to this use, but it has been around for centuries.



I don't remember ever having heard singular "they" used of an animal - most people would use "it" in such cases. As far as I know, singular "they" is never used for inanimate objects.






share|improve this answer













It is always singular, and hardly ever used of humans (some people refer to a baby whose sex they don't know as "it", but others find that offensive). It is often used of animals, but many people use "he" or "she" if they know the sex of the animal.



They is plural, and may refer to anything: people, animals, inanimate objects. Many people (including me) also use it in the singular to refer to a person when they don't know the person's gender, or are referring to an unspecified person who might be of any gender. Some people object to this use, but it has been around for centuries.



I don't remember ever having heard singular "they" used of an animal - most people would use "it" in such cases. As far as I know, singular "they" is never used for inanimate objects.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered 7 hours ago









Colin FineColin Fine

31.7k24560




31.7k24560







  • 1





    Oh, I've heard it used for an animal - some people object to thinking about them as less than human, somehow.

    – SamBC
    6 hours ago











  • I use "they" for animals exclusively. At least for mammals, birds, and reptiles; I tend to lean towards "it" for insects. The exact line varies from person to person, some only using they for humans and some using it for humans and pets, others for all animate things, etc. Also of note is that singular they can be used for a specific nonbinary person as well, so it doesn't have to be an unspecified person or a person of unknown gender.

    – Hearth
    2 hours ago












  • 1





    Oh, I've heard it used for an animal - some people object to thinking about them as less than human, somehow.

    – SamBC
    6 hours ago











  • I use "they" for animals exclusively. At least for mammals, birds, and reptiles; I tend to lean towards "it" for insects. The exact line varies from person to person, some only using they for humans and some using it for humans and pets, others for all animate things, etc. Also of note is that singular they can be used for a specific nonbinary person as well, so it doesn't have to be an unspecified person or a person of unknown gender.

    – Hearth
    2 hours ago







1




1





Oh, I've heard it used for an animal - some people object to thinking about them as less than human, somehow.

– SamBC
6 hours ago





Oh, I've heard it used for an animal - some people object to thinking about them as less than human, somehow.

– SamBC
6 hours ago













I use "they" for animals exclusively. At least for mammals, birds, and reptiles; I tend to lean towards "it" for insects. The exact line varies from person to person, some only using they for humans and some using it for humans and pets, others for all animate things, etc. Also of note is that singular they can be used for a specific nonbinary person as well, so it doesn't have to be an unspecified person or a person of unknown gender.

– Hearth
2 hours ago





I use "they" for animals exclusively. At least for mammals, birds, and reptiles; I tend to lean towards "it" for insects. The exact line varies from person to person, some only using they for humans and some using it for humans and pets, others for all animate things, etc. Also of note is that singular they can be used for a specific nonbinary person as well, so it doesn't have to be an unspecified person or a person of unknown gender.

– Hearth
2 hours ago










ayushi grover is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.









draft saved

draft discarded


















ayushi grover is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.












ayushi grover is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.











ayushi grover is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.














Thanks for contributing an answer to English Language Learners Stack Exchange!


  • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

But avoid


  • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

  • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.

To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




draft saved


draft discarded














StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fell.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f204215%2fwhat-are-the-differences-between-the-usage-of-it-and-they%23new-answer', 'question_page');

);

Post as a guest















Required, but never shown





















































Required, but never shown














Required, but never shown












Required, but never shown







Required, but never shown

































Required, but never shown














Required, but never shown












Required, but never shown







Required, but never shown







Popular posts from this blog

Францішак Багушэвіч Змест Сям'я | Біяграфія | Творчасць | Мова Багушэвіча | Ацэнкі дзейнасці | Цікавыя факты | Спадчына | Выбраная бібліяграфія | Ушанаванне памяці | У філатэліі | Зноскі | Літаратура | Спасылкі | НавігацыяЛяхоўскі У. Рупіўся дзеля Бога і людзей: Жыццёвы шлях Лявона Вітан-Дубейкаўскага // Вольскі і Памідораў з песняй пра немца Адвакат, паэт, народны заступнік Ашмянскі веснікВ Минске появится площадь Богушевича и улица Сырокомли, Белорусская деловая газета, 19 июля 2001 г.Айцец беларускай нацыянальнай ідэі паўстаў у бронзе Сяргей Аляксандравіч Адашкевіч (1918, Мінск). 80-я гады. Бюст «Францішак Багушэвіч».Яўген Мікалаевіч Ціхановіч. «Партрэт Францішка Багушэвіча»Мікола Мікалаевіч Купава. «Партрэт зачынальніка новай беларускай літаратуры Францішка Багушэвіча»Уладзімір Іванавіч Мелехаў. На помніку «Змагарам за родную мову» Барэльеф «Францішак Багушэвіч»Памяць пра Багушэвіча на Віленшчыне Страчаная сталіца. Беларускія шыльды на вуліцах Вільні«Krynica». Ideologia i przywódcy białoruskiego katolicyzmuФранцішак БагушэвічТворы на knihi.comТворы Францішка Багушэвіча на bellib.byСодаль Уладзімір. Францішак Багушэвіч на Лідчыне;Луцкевіч Антон. Жыцьцё і творчасьць Фр. Багушэвіча ў успамінах ягоных сучасьнікаў // Запісы Беларускага Навуковага таварыства. Вільня, 1938. Сшытак 1. С. 16-34.Большая российская1188761710000 0000 5537 633Xn9209310021619551927869394п

Беларусь Змест Назва Гісторыя Геаграфія Сімволіка Дзяржаўны лад Палітычныя партыі Міжнароднае становішча і знешняя палітыка Адміністрацыйны падзел Насельніцтва Эканоміка Культура і грамадства Сацыяльная сфера Узброеныя сілы Заўвагі Літаратура Спасылкі НавігацыяHGЯOiТоп-2011 г. (па версіі ej.by)Топ-2013 г. (па версіі ej.by)Топ-2016 г. (па версіі ej.by)Топ-2017 г. (па версіі ej.by)Нацыянальны статыстычны камітэт Рэспублікі БеларусьШчыльнасць насельніцтва па краінахhttp://naviny.by/rubrics/society/2011/09/16/ic_articles_116_175144/А. Калечыц, У. Ксяндзоў. Спробы засялення краю неандэртальскім чалавекам.І ў Менску былі мамантыА. Калечыц, У. Ксяндзоў. Старажытны каменны век (палеаліт). Першапачатковае засяленне тэрыторыіГ. Штыхаў. Балты і славяне ў VI—VIII стст.М. Клімаў. Полацкае княства ў IX—XI стст.Г. Штыхаў, В. Ляўко. Палітычная гісторыя Полацкай зямліГ. Штыхаў. Дзяржаўны лад у землях-княствахГ. Штыхаў. Дзяржаўны лад у землях-княствахБеларускія землі ў складзе Вялікага Княства ЛітоўскагаЛюблінская унія 1569 г."The Early Stages of Independence"Zapomniane prawdy25 гадоў таму было аб'яўлена, што Язэп Пілсудскі — беларус (фота)Наша вадаДакументы ЧАЭС: Забруджванне тэрыторыі Беларусі « ЧАЭС Зона адчужэнняСведения о политических партиях, зарегистрированных в Республике Беларусь // Министерство юстиции Республики БеларусьСтатыстычны бюлетэнь „Полаўзроставая структура насельніцтва Рэспублікі Беларусь на 1 студзеня 2012 года і сярэднегадовая колькасць насельніцтва за 2011 год“Индекс человеческого развития Беларуси — не было бы нижеБеларусь занимает первое место в СНГ по индексу развития с учетом гендерного факцёраНацыянальны статыстычны камітэт Рэспублікі БеларусьКанстытуцыя РБ. Артыкул 17Трансфармацыйныя задачы БеларусіВыйсце з крызісу — далейшае рэфармаванне Беларускі рубель — сусветны лідар па дэвальвацыяхПра змену коштаў у кастрычніку 2011 г.Бядней за беларусаў у СНД толькі таджыкіСярэдні заробак у верасні дасягнуў 2,26 мільёна рублёўЭканомікаГаласуем за ТОП-100 беларускай прозыСучасныя беларускія мастакіАрхитектура Беларуси BELARUS.BYА. Каханоўскі. Культура Беларусі ўсярэдзіне XVII—XVIII ст.Анталогія беларускай народнай песні, гуказапісы спеваўБеларускія Музычныя IнструментыБеларускі рок, які мы страцілі. Топ-10 гуртоў«Мясцовы час» — нязгаслая легенда беларускай рок-музыкіСЯРГЕЙ БУДКІН. МЫ НЯ ЗНАЕМ СВАЁЙ МУЗЫКІМ. А. Каладзінскі. НАРОДНЫ ТЭАТРМагнацкія культурныя цэнтрыПублічная дыскусія «Беларуская новая пьеса: без беларускай мовы ці беларуская?»Беларускія драматургі па-ранейшаму лепш ставяцца за мяжой, чым на радзіме«Працэс незалежнага кіно пайшоў, і дзяржаву турбуе яго непадкантрольнасць»Беларускія філосафы ў пошуках прасторыВсе идём в библиотекуАрхіваванаАб Нацыянальнай праграме даследавання і выкарыстання касмічнай прасторы ў мірных мэтах на 2008—2012 гадыУ космас — разам.У суседнім з Барысаўскім раёне пабудуюць Камандна-вымяральны пунктСвяты і абрады беларусаў«Мірныя бульбашы з малой краіны» — 5 непраўдзівых стэрэатыпаў пра БеларусьМ. Раманюк. Беларускае народнае адзеннеУ Беларусі скарачаецца колькасць злачынстваўЛукашэнка незадаволены мінскімі ўладамі Крадзяжы складаюць у Мінску каля 70% злачынстваў Узровень злачыннасці ў Мінскай вобласці — адзін з самых высокіх у краіне Генпракуратура аналізуе стан са злачыннасцю ў Беларусі па каэфіцыенце злачыннасці У Беларусі стабілізавалася крымінагеннае становішча, лічыць генпракурорЗамежнікі сталі здзяйсняць у Беларусі больш злачынстваўМУС Беларусі турбуе рост рэцыдыўнай злачыннасціЯ з ЖЭСа. Дазволіце вас абкрасці! Рэйтынг усіх службаў і падраздзяленняў ГУУС Мінгарвыканкама вырасАб КДБ РБГісторыя Аператыўна-аналітычнага цэнтра РБГісторыя ДКФРТаможняagentura.ruБеларусьBelarus.by — Афіцыйны сайт Рэспублікі БеларусьСайт урада БеларусіRadzima.org — Збор архітэктурных помнікаў, гісторыя Беларусі«Глобус Беларуси»Гербы и флаги БеларусиАсаблівасці каменнага веку на БеларусіА. Калечыц, У. Ксяндзоў. Старажытны каменны век (палеаліт). Першапачатковае засяленне тэрыторыіУ. Ксяндзоў. Сярэдні каменны век (мезаліт). Засяленне краю плямёнамі паляўнічых, рыбакоў і збіральнікаўА. Калечыц, М. Чарняўскі. Плямёны на тэрыторыі Беларусі ў новым каменным веку (неаліце)А. Калечыц, У. Ксяндзоў, М. Чарняўскі. Гаспадарчыя заняткі ў каменным векуЭ. Зайкоўскі. Духоўная культура ў каменным векуАсаблівасці бронзавага веку на БеларусіФарміраванне супольнасцей ранняга перыяду бронзавага векуФотографии БеларусиРоля беларускіх зямель ва ўтварэнні і ўмацаванні ВКЛВ. Фадзеева. З гісторыі развіцця беларускай народнай вышыўкіDMOZGran catalanaБольшая российскаяBritannica (анлайн)Швейцарскі гістарычны15325917611952699xDA123282154079143-90000 0001 2171 2080n9112870100577502ge128882171858027501086026362074122714179пппппп

ValueError: Expected n_neighbors <= n_samples, but n_samples = 1, n_neighbors = 6 (SMOTE) The 2019 Stack Overflow Developer Survey Results Are InCan SMOTE be applied over sequence of words (sentences)?ValueError when doing validation with random forestsSMOTE and multi class oversamplingLogic behind SMOTE-NC?ValueError: Error when checking target: expected dense_1 to have shape (7,) but got array with shape (1,)SmoteBoost: Should SMOTE be ran individually for each iteration/tree in the boosting?solving multi-class imbalance classification using smote and OSSUsing SMOTE for Synthetic Data generation to improve performance on unbalanced dataproblem of entry format for a simple model in KerasSVM SMOTE fit_resample() function runs forever with no result