Source: https://developers.google.com/style/pronouns\n\n# Pronouns
Stay organized with collections
Save and categorize content based on your preferences.\n\n- Home\n- Products\n- Style\n\n\n## Page Summary\n\n- Always ensure pronouns have clear and unambiguous connections to the nouns they replace, avoiding vague references.\n- Use singular "they" as the gender-neutral pronoun instead of gender-specific pronouns or alternatives like "he/she".\n- Utilize optional pronouns such as "that" and "which" to enhance clarity and avoid ambiguity in sentences.\n- Primarily use second-person pronouns ("you") while reserving first-person pronouns ("I", "we") for specific contexts like FAQs or organizational statements.\n- Understand the distinctions between relative pronouns like "that" and "which", using "that" for restrictive clauses and "which" for nonrestrictive clauses.\n\nAlways ensure pronouns have clear and unambiguous connections to the nouns they replace, avoiding vague references.\n\nUse singular "they" as the gender-neutral pronoun instead of gender-specific pronouns or alternatives like "he/she".\n\nUtilize optional pronouns such as "that" and "which" to enhance clarity and avoid ambiguity in sentences.\n\nPrimarily use second-person pronouns ("you") while reserving first-person pronouns ("I", "we") for specific contexts like FAQs or organizational statements.\n\nUnderstand the distinctions between relative pronouns like "that" and "which", using "that" for restrictive clauses and "which" for nonrestrictive clauses.\n\nEnsure that a pronoun clearly refers
to its antecedent (the noun that it's replacing).\n\n\n## Ambiguous pronoun references\n\nAvoid vague and confusing references between a pronoun and its antecedent.\n\nRecommended: If you type text in the
field, the text doesn't change.\n\nNot recommended: If you type text in the
field, it doesn't change.\n\nRecommended: The name of the function to
execute in the given script. The name does not include parentheses or
parameters.\n\nNot recommended: The name of the function
to execute in the given script. It does not include parentheses or
parameters.\n\nIn many cases, it's best to follow a demonstrative pronoun (like this and these)
with a noun.\n\nRecommended: Set this value to true.\n\nNot recommended: Set this to true.\n\nRecommended: These approaches are your
best options.\n\nNot recommended: These are your best options.\n\n\n## Gender-neutral pronouns\n\nDon't use gender-specific pronouns unless the person you're referring to is
actually that gender.\n\nIn particular, don't use he, him, his, she, or her as
gender-neutral pronouns, and don't use he/she or (s)he or other such
punctuational approaches. Instead, use the singular they.\n\nSingular they has been in use for a long time; for example, Jane Austen used it,
and in 2015 the Washington Post adopted
it as part of their official style.\n\nFor more suggestions, see
The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition, section 5.225,
"Nine techniques for achieving gender neutrality."\n\n\n## Optional pronouns\n\nTo avoid ambiguity and clarify meaning in sentences, use optional pronouns such as
that and which.\n\n\nRecommended | Not recommended\nRight-click the link that you want to open. | Right-click the link you want to open.\nYou can use other option parameters, which are described in the following section. | You can use other option parameters, described in the following section.\n\nFor more information, see
Relative pronouns.\n\n\n## Personal pronouns\n\nAvoid first-person pronouns (I, we, us, our, and ours) except
in the following contexts:\n\n- The questions in FAQs.\n- A document whose author makes comments in the first person.\n- Using we to refer to your organization, after using your organization's
name. For example, "Example Pet Store recommends that you feed your aardvark
Standardized Aardvark Treats. We cannot guarantee the happiness of your aardvark
otherwise."\n\nUse the second-person pronoun (you) whenever possible. For more information about
second person, see Second person and first person.\n\n\n## Relative pronouns\n\nThere are several relative pronouns. This section concerns only three of
them: that, which, and who.\n\nThat and which don't mean exactly the same thing, so don't substitute one
for the other:\n\n- That introduces a restrictive clause. It isn't preceded by a comma.
Recommended: The echidna that has a
long snout is furry.
This sentence describes a particular echidna, the one that has a long
snout.\n- Which introduces a nonrestrictive clause and is preceded by a comma.
Recommended: The echidna, which has a
long snout, is furry.
This sentence describes all echidnas, and mentions in passing that they
all have long snouts.\n\nRecommended: The echidna that has a
long snout is furry.\n\nThis sentence describes a particular echidna, the one that has a long
snout.\n\nRecommended: The echidna, which has a
long snout, is furry.\n\nThis sentence describes all echidnas, and mentions in passing that they
all have long snouts.\n\nFor more information about restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses and whether
to use that or which, read
what
Grammar Girl has to say on the subject.\n\nWhen you're referring to a person, you can use who instead of that. If you're not
sure which pronoun is appropriate in your context, then it's generally OK to use that.\n\nYou can use whose to refer to people, animals, and things. Whose is the possessive
form of both who and which.\n\nRecommended: Examine the variables whose
values are set at compile time.\n