Why not 'it'?

[EFLImpudence]

Not only weird (or ludicrous), it's not appropriate; 'they' is plural.
Do they also use the plural of verbs or do they (the parents) say 'they'is.
You see, I even had to point out I meant the parents.

As in the OP, 'it' is the word for something of which you don't know the sex/gender.

 

[EFLImpudence]

No- I would use "they" as they were not in front of me to influence a he/she description.
Imagine that the car was a single seater for ease

In the same way a call centre would say "an engineer will call and they will diagnose the fault.
A single engineer. No ambiguity

The electrician employed by my builder was a bodge artist. They twisted wires together with no screwed or crimped connectors covered in insulating tape

I disagree and don't think you would - or if you would then it would be very strange.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Here's a bit from BBC news regarding Bin Ladin's son which I have amended in case he doesn't know what gender he is.

"US President Donald Trump has confirmed that Hamza Bin Laden, the son of al-Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden, was killed in a US operation.
They were officially designated by the US as a global terrorist two years ago.
They were widely seen as a potential successor to their father. Thought to be about 30, they had sent out calls for attacks on the US and other countries."
It's ridiculous.

What about the original article.

Say the person in question was going out with a similar person. John and Sue.
They had been going out with them for three months until they broke up with them and they are heartbroken.
You don't know who did what to whom.

 

[EFLImpudence]

duplicate

 

[motorbiking]

In law we use the term he without implying gender. Gender neutral pronouns just weakens the language.

 

[Notch7]

n law we use the term he without implying gender

I didnt know that.

 

[fillyboy]

I didnt know that.

Not a lot of people do.

 

[Ihavenojob]

What's wrong with cannibalism, apart from a bit of gut ache if not cooked properly?

 

[opps]

What's wrong with cannibalism, apart from a bit of gut ache if not cooked properly?

Gut ache for which of the parties though?

 

[foxhole]

An individual can be referred to as they or them , neither term indicates a number of individuals .

 

[EFLImpudence]

What's wrong with cannibalism,

I suppose we could farm idiots. Plenty of stock to breed from.

We could tell them it was for their own good and they would be happy.

 

[SirGalahad]

I suppose we could farm idiots. Plenty of stock to breed from.

We could tell them it was for their own good and they would be happy.

Best performing stock this yr Beyond Meat.