The Great Pronoun Shift: The Big Impact of Little Parts of Speech

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of contents
Figures
Tables
Foreword
Preface and Acknowledgments
1 The Pronoun Problem, Again
	Introduction
	Pronouns in the News
	The Pronoun Problem
	Why Don’t We Think about Pronouns?
	Distinctions between Content/Form Words versus Function/Structure Words
	Why Is This So?
	Evidence in the Brain??
	Are Pronouns Function Words or Content Words?
	Pronouns as Function Words
	Pronouns as Content Words
	The Problem Again
	What Do We Do with Everyone?
	Conclusion
	Activities
	Annotated Bibliography
	Non-annotated Bibliography
2 Pronouns in Print and on Broadway
	Introduction
	The Four Five Uses of They
	Use Number 4 (Singular Definite Antecedent They) in Publications
	Use Number 4 in The New Yorker and Elsewhere: Focus on Danez Smith
	Pronoun Use as an Attitude
	Pronouns on Broadway
	Style Guides
	Conclusion
	Activities
	Annotated Bibliography
3 Nonbinary Pronouns: In Transition
	Introduction
	Beyond the Binary
	Sapir-Whorf?
	Legal Aspects
	Entering the Mainstream
	Entering the English Classroom
	Swedish
	Singular They as a Pronoun for Nonbinary People
	Conclusion
	Activities
	Annotated Bibliography
4 Pronouns for Pets, Planets, and Other Bodies
	Introduction
	Pet (and Other Animal) Pronouns
	Pronouns for a Mercedes, the H.M.S. Pinafore, the Sun, the Moon, and Other Bodies
	Pronouns for Tools?
	Pronouns for Schools, Corporations, Countries, and Other Institutions
	Conclusion
	Activities
	Annotated Bibliography
5 Where Art Thou?: Pronouns in History
	Introduction
	History of English
	What Happened to Thee?
	What Will Happen to Them?
	Conclusion
	Activities
	Annotated Bibliography
6 Religious Pronouns: Thanks Be to Them!
	Introduction
	Pronouns for the Judeo-Christian God
	Christianity
	Islam
	Judaism
	Hinduism
	Other Religions
	Conclusion
	Activities
	Annotated Bibliography
7 Neopronouns: The Final Act of Self-Actualization
	The Pronoun Dressing Room
	Pronouns as a Speech Act of Self-Actualization
	What Are Speech Acts?
	What Is Self-Actualization?
	Would People Accept Neopronouns?
	Conclusion
	Activities
	Annotated Bibliography
8 Breaking the Grammar Binary: The Third Word Category
	Introduction
	What Happened to You?
	And What About Him (Or Her)?
	And Now They
	And What About Her?
	New Pronouns?
	The Great Pronoun Shift: They for Everyone
	The Third Category
	Conclusion
	Activities
	Annotated Bibliography
9 What’s a Teacher-Student-Writer-Editor-Ally-Person to Do?
	Introduction
	In the Classroom
	On the Page
	In the World
	Just Say They
	Conclusion
	Activities
	Annotated Bibliography
	Statement on Gender and Language
	Issue Defined
	Recommendations
		General Usage Guidelines
		Recommendations for Working with Students
			Regarding Grammar and Usage
			Regarding Classroom Culture
			Regarding Curriculum Creation
		Recommendations for Working with ELA Colleagues
		Recommendations for Administrators
		Recommendations for Working with the Larger Professional Community
	References
Appendix: Signs of Them
Index