Substituting 'everybody' (they or he/she?)

[Butterfly]

Please, explain the difference between the 2 examples: (thank you in advance :) )

1. Everybody must arrive on time if heshe does not want to make a bad impression.

2. Everybody must arrive on time if they do not want to make a bad impression.

[Yankee]

Hi Butterfly

Your second sentence would be more typical even though your first sentence is technically better grammatically. Saying "he/she" is often done only in order to be "politically" correct (i.e. to show no gender bias), but it tends to be a bit awkward.

You can avoid the whole problem by rewording the sentence:
Anyone who doesn't want to make a bad impression must arrive on time.

:D
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[Tamara]

Amy, what will happen with your best quality sentence :) if I reword it in:

Anyone who wants not to make a bad impression must arrive on time.

Does it become 'just informal' or unacceptable (unnatural or wrong)?
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[Yankee]

.
Sounds a bit awkward, Tamara, but that structure is used occasionally.
What about this:

Anyone not wanting to make a bad impression must arrive on time.

;)
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"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln

[Tamara]

Thank you, Amy. I see the difference...

But could you say why 'anyone' works better here than 'everyone'?
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It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Yankee]

Hi Tamara

Well, I'd say it simply has to do with the the fact that the word any likes to be used with negatives. 8)

In the first sentence, the negative aspect is in the if clause (i.e., the word everybody is used in an affirmative clause). In the reworded sentence, the negative aspect is connected to who and the word who refers directly to anybody.

Amy
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"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln

[Tamara]

Good (Monday :)) morning, Amy,

[Alan]

Hi,

To get back to the starting point of this discussion I'd like to register my support for the 'they' impersonal pronoun. The 'he/she' formulation really gets my goat and I've been advocating the use of they/their/theirs/them for yonks. I think it's a failing in English that there is no impersonal form.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
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