Grammer Regression or Maybe Advancement

Grammar is not something that applies to everyday speech, yet it is essential in formal writing. In the formal setting of school, written English is taught too have a right usage and wrong usage. On the contrary, the social setting of spoken English can foster developments of varied English because of the sheer amount of people that are involved. For example, grammatically, a singular pronoun or possessive should follow the indefinite pronoun "everyone," but in speech the possessive "their" is the only way to go. This difference could be viewed as grammatical regression of society or as a potential solution to a problem. Jane Mairs, the director of English Language Learning Publishing at Merriam-Websters Incorporated, explains why the written version is different that the spoken version: "[singular pronouns and possessives] can end up sounding awkward." The use of "his" or "her" to define everyone creates a problem because everyone could include both males and females. Picking a pronoun could result in insult and the use of "his or her" is wordy and awkward. Though grammatically incorrect, "their" is gender-neutral and is a single word. To me, it would make sense to accept this change and others like it into the written language. Both versions could be considered correct and you could choose that which you preferred. It's not regression; it's a solution.