Editing Singular they (section)

====''The Chicago Manual of Style''====
In the 14th edition (1993) of ''[[The Chicago Manual of Style]]'', the University of Chicago Press explicitly recommended using singular ''they'' and ''their'', noting a "revival" of this usage and citing "its venerable use by such writers as Addison, Austen, Chesterfield, Fielding, Ruskin, Scott, and Shakespeare."{{sfn|Chicago|1993|pp=76–77}}
From the 15th edition (2003), this was changed. In Chapter 5 of the 17th edition (2017), now written by [[Bryan A. Garner]], the recommendations are:{{sfn|Chicago|2017|loc=§5.48}}

{{Blockquote|text=Normally, a singular antecedent requires a singular pronoun. But because ''he'' is no longer universally accepted as a generic pronoun referring to a person of unspecified gender, people commonly (in speech and in informal writing) substitute the third-person-plural pronouns ''they'', ''them'', ''their'', and ''themselves'' (or the nonstandard singular ''themself''). While this usage is accepted in those spheres, it is only lately showing signs of gaining acceptance in formal writing, where Chicago recommends avoiding its use. When referring specifically to a person who does not identify with a gender-specific pronoun, however, ''they'' and its forms are often preferred.}}