The word “they” serves as both a plural and a singular pronoun in English. Traditionally, “they” has been used as a plural pronoun to refer to more than one subject. However, it also functions as a singular pronoun to address someone whose gender is unknown or to refer to nonbinary individuals. Although using different verb forms could theoretically help differentiate between these usages, English, like many other languages, tends not to impose distinct verb conjugations for singular and plural second and third-person pronouns.
The singular “they” is used with verbs in the same form as when they are paired with plural subjects (e.g., “they are” versus “he is”). This is largely due to the simplicity and consistency that these forms bring to the language, making verbs less cumbersome to learn and use. Languages often stay consistent with established rules, favoring simplicity over distinctions that offer limited functional advantage. Such consistency aligns with how English treats the second-person pronoun “you,” which also uses the same verb form regardless of whether it refers to one person or several.
Thus, the utilization of the same verb form for both singular and plural “they” simplifies communication and maintains consistency with other pronouns in the English language.
