What is sexism in writing? It is the assumption that all people are male or female. Men are choosing professions that were once considered only for women, and women are branching out into professions that were once dominated by men. Sexism in writing can occur in a number of ways. In writing, the use of pronouns that refer to men only ignores half the population and sends the message that all humans are men.

There are ways to avoid using male pronouns that refer to both men and women in your writing and avoid alienating 50% of the population.

Here is a list of indefinite pronouns that are considered singular:

Other, anyone, anyone, anything, everyone, anyone, everyone, everyone, everything, little, much, none, nobody, none, nobody, nothing, one, another, someone, someone, something

Here are some indefinite pronouns that can be considered singular or plural, depending on how they are used in the sentence.

All, anyone, most, most, and some are plural when referring to plural nouns; all, any, more, most, and some are singular when referring to singular nouns or collective nouns.

To avoid sexism in your writing, follow these basic tips:

· Use singular pronouns to refer to singular nouns;
· Use singular pronouns to refer to indefinite singular pronouns;
· Use plural pronouns to refer to plural nouns;

Correct: If a student wants to take the class, they can register tomorrow.
Incorrect: If a student wants to take the class, they can register tomorrow.

Correct: If someone wants to take the class, they can sign up tomorrow.
Incorrect: If someone wants to take the class, they can sign up tomorrow.

Correct: If students want to take the class, they can sign up tomorrow.
Wrong: if students want to take the class, they can register tomorrow.

If you don’t know if the person you are referring to is a woman or a man, follow these basic tips:

· Use “he or she” or “his”;
· Convert the sentence into plural using plural nouns and pronouns;
· Rewrite the sentence to avoid the use of pronouns altogether;

Correct: everyone wanted to know your grades.
Incorrect: Everyone wanted to know your grades.

Correct: the students wanted to know their grades.
Incorrect: the students wanted to know their grades.

Correct: the students wanted to know the grades.
Wrong: the students wanted to know their grades.

If you know the gender of the person you are referring to, follow these basic tips:

· Use “she or she” to refer to a woman;
· Use “he or he or his” to refer to a man;

Correct: the postman left his mail bag on my doorstep.
Incorrect: The postman left his mail bag on my doorstep.

Correct: Ask the policewoman if you can direct you to court.
Wrong: Ask the policewoman if you can direct you to court.

Using these simple tips will help you improve your writing and maintain clear communication. You will not be wrong and you will not alienate half the population by using sexism in your writing.