I agree, we should be helping individuals in their overall literacy 
skills.  We are showing a certain amount of disrespect and indicating 
that, "well, they don't know the difference, anyway."  
Linda
---
Linda L. Rohret, M.A., R.H.Ed.
Special Projects Coordinator
North Carolina Comprehensive Cancer Program
DHHS--Division of Public Health
1922 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC  27699-1922
Tele:   919 707-5331
Fax:    919 870-4811


Seubert, Douglas wrote:


>Plain language recommendations call for using "you" and "your" whenever appropriate.

>

>When that is not appropriate, the easiest solution is to write in the plural. This avoids the "he or she" or "he/she" problem and allows you to use "their" correctly.

>

>Using "their" is confusing when it is paired with a singular antecedent, as in "Everyone should wash their hands before eating." While it may be acceptable in informal speech, I disagree that it is therefore acceptable in writing. If you don't want to be grammatically correct and write "Everyone should wash his hands" or if you don't like the inclusive "Everyone should wash his or her hands" then change to the plain language recommendation of writing "You should wash your hands...."

>

>I think we do a disservice to patients when we ignore basic rules of grammar just because what we write "sounds better" or helps us avoid "he or she." Clear writing can and should be grammatically correct. 

>

>

>Doug Seubert

>Quality Improvement & Care Management

>Family Health Center/Community Heath Access

>

>Marshfield Clinic

>1000 N Oak Avenue

>Marshfield, WI 54449

>www.marshfieldclinic.org/quality

>

>(715) 387-5096 (1-800-782-8581 ext. 75096)

>seubert.douglas at marshfieldclinic.org

>

>------Original Message------

>From:	"Julie McKinney" <julie_mcKinney at worlded.org>

>Date:	Thu May 15, 2008 -- 11:01:08 AM

>To:	healthliteracy at nifl.gov

>Subject:	[HealthLiteracy 1990] Wednesday Question: Writing how we talk:better or worse?

>

>I agree with Kristina that writing "the way we talk" is usually clearer,

>even if it is technically grammatically incorrect. It's an interesting

>concept that well educated people talk in a certain way, which is

>grammatically correct, but may be more confusing to people with literacy

>or English challenges. And this way is usually how we are "supposed" to

>write.

>

>The gender question that we've been discussing is one example of that,

>but there are many others. For example, the rule that no sentence can

>end with a preposition. Which is clearer:

>

>Your dominant hand is the one you write with.

>or

>Your dominant hand is the one with which you write.

>

>(I know we could say ..."the one you use to write", but sometimes, the

>sentence structures abobe seem to be the only choices.)

>

>What do the plain language folks think about this? And others? Can we

>write more colloquially, and is it clearer or not?

>

>All the best,

>Julie

>

>

>

>Julie McKinney

>Health Literacy List Moderator

>World Education

>jmckinney at worlded.org

>  

>

>>>>Kristina Anderson <kristina at easyreadcopywriting.com> 05/15/08 11:30

>>>>        

>>>>

>AM >>>

>It's my experience that using "their" does not confuse patients at all

>because it is how we talk. I have tested low lit materials using "their"

>when "he/she" would have been grammatically correct. No one expressed

>confusion. I have also read, although I can't remember where, that this

>usage is no longer considered incorrect grammar. The only people who

>question it are the well educated.

>

>Our language is changing, and this is an example of that.

>

>Kristina 

>

>

>  

>

>>From: "Davies, Nicola" <NDavies at dthr.ab.ca>

>>Reply-To: The Health and Literacy Discussion List

>>    

>>

><healthliteracy at nifl.gov>

>  

>

>>Date: Thu, 8 May 2008 14:40:07 -0600

>>To: The Health and Literacy Discussion List <healthliteracy at nifl.gov>

>>Conversation: [HealthLiteracy 1977] Fw: Guidance on remaining gender

>>    

>>

>neurtral

>  

>

>>Subject: [HealthLiteracy 1979] Re: Fw: Guidance on remaining gender

>>    

>>

>neurtral

>  

>

>>wherever possible I use second person: you

>>

>>So often I see examples like, "patients are encouraged to wash his or

>>    

>>

>her

>  

>

>>hands" instead of "please wash your hands"

>>

>>A lot of writers use "their" but that implies plural.

>>

>>Nicola

>>-----Original Message-----

>>From: healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov

>>[mailto:healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of

>>Terri.Ades at cancer.org

>>Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2008 9:51 AM

>>To: healthliteracy at nifl.gov

>>Subject: [HealthLiteracy 1977] Fw: Guidance on remaining gender

>>    

>>

>neurtral

>  

>

>>

>>Our style guidelines require that we remain gender neutral. However,

>>    

>>

>my

>  

>

>>sense is that when writing for an audience with very limited literacy

>>skills, using "he or she" is not easily understood.  Suggestions would

>>    

>>

>be

>  

>

>>greatly appreciated?

>>

>>Terri Ades, MS, FNP-BC, AOCN

>>Director, Cancer Information

>>Health Promotions

>>American Cancer Society

>>250 Williams Street

>>Atlanta, GA 30303-1002

>>404-329-7785

>>tades at cancer.org

>>

>>----------------------------------------------------

>>National Institute for Literacy

>>Health and Literacy mailing list

>>HealthLiteracy at nifl.gov

>>To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

>>http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/healthliteracy

>>Email delivered to ndavies at dthr.ab.ca

>>

>>----------------------------------------------------

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>>Health and Literacy mailing list

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>>Email delivered to kristina at easyreadcopywriting.com

>>    

>>

>

>

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>

>

>

>

>  

>

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