One solution is to rewrite sentences to make the problem disappear. This often works, but the writing may suffer. Another solution is simply not to worry about it, and use the plural forms they, them, and their as we commonly do in speaking.
The Dictionary of English Usage dramatically clarifies the validity of this solution. It notes that while
everybody and
everyone are grammatically singular, they are notionally plural. They’re singular in form, but their meaning is plural, and “their natural tendency is to take singular verbs and plural pronouns.”
Thus, “Everyone should get their shovels” is completely correct.
Merriam-Webster’s scholars write that “The plural pronoun is one solution devised by native speakers of English to a grammatical problem inherent in the language--and it is by no means the worst solution.” They quote abundant examples of this usage in respected English writing going back to Chaucer and Shakespeare, and including Jonathan Swift, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and The New Yorker magazine. Furthermore, “...you have a choice: you can use the plural pronouns when they seem natural and you can use the singular pronouns when they seem natural.” I even like “his or her shovel”--but only occasionally.
Most of us probably don’t mean to be sexist, so it’s unfortunate if our language sometimes steers us that way. But it’s nice to know that spoken English already often uses a language of equality that the stuffy grammarians sought to banish. As we grow more into true equality, our language will further evolve to reflect and sustain our progress--we and our words go together.
Source
