Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[sabrinak]

Hi, please help me.

I'm confused with "his or her" in this passage.

Does it refer to everyone or the department manager?

No one but the department manager is permitted to adjust the thermostat, and it is his or her responsibility to see that the thermostat is turned back to 65 degrees when everyone leaves the office at night.

Many many thanks always!!

[pugachevV]

Sabrinak, you have just encountered the nonsense to which political correctness gives rise.
Because it refers to "The manager", whose sex is not known, the writer feels it necessary to hedge his bets by inserting both the pronoun his and the pronoun her, so that neither sex can be offended.
In former times, such as when I was young, and grammar was considered to be important, it was quite OK to write his, when the sex of the person to which it referred was unknown. It was assumed the reader was intelligent enough to know that, should the person turn out to be a woman, her was the correct pronoun to use.
Some writers will write only "her" in a sentence such as the one you are questioning. Oddly, this does not generate any outrage among the excluded male members of our society.

Sometimes you will see their used, but that is rubbish and offends even me.

[sabrinak]

Thanks for your kind, clear explanation. I really appreciate it.

[pugachevV]

You're welcome, Sabrinak.