Are you concerned about repeatedly using “they” in your writing?
Perhaps you’re worried the word is overused and generic, which could make your writing sound worse.
Luckily, it’s not the only option you have!
This article will teach you how to say “they” in different situations to mix things up.
Other Ways to Say “They”
- People
- Others
- Individuals
- Folks
- Everyone
- You all
- The public
- The team
- Everybody
- Each person
- All
- The group
- The crowd
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- “They” is correct as a plural term to refer to an undetermined group of people in your writing.
- “People” works well as a replacement if you’re trying to mix things up and sound less repetitive.
- Try using “others” as a synonym if you’d like to sound a bit more inclusive and interesting.
Keep reading to learn better words to replace “they” in an essay or email. We’ve touched on the best two options to give you a better idea of what can work well.
Also, you can read the final section to learn whether “they” is correct. Then, you’ll have a better understanding as to whether you should use it in your writing.
People
Let’s start with “people,” which is another word to use instead of “they.”
It works well because it includes an unspecified group. It doesn’t limit you to the amount of people being referred to, either.
Technically, “people” refers to two or more people (which technically makes it an endless number).
Generally, you can use something like this when writing a bulk email to customers. It’s a good way to try and include everyone, even if you don’t have all the contact details of every customer.
Here’s a great email sample to show you more about it if you’re still confused:
Dear Customers,
People have spoken about our products for a while now.
So, we’d like you all to know you’ve got the first pick on all of our new releases.
Best wishes,
Gerald Bennett
It also works well in academic writing. You can use it as another way to say “they” when you’d like to be as inclusive as possible.
Here’s a helpful essay sample to show you how to use it:
People provided me with many answers during my investigations. I’ve tallied the results and provided them on the next page.
Others
You can also use “others” as another word for “they.” It’s a simpler phrase that works well if you’re trying to be unique and interesting.
Generally, you can use this when writing to employees. It might be worth including it in certain emails to show that you’re talking about a larger group of people.
Again, “others” is an unidentifiable number. It’s up to you to determine how many (or few) people you want to refer to when using “others.”
If you’re still unsure how it works, check out this email example:
Hey Team,
Others have mentioned that we need to have a meeting soon!
So, I’d like to get you all together this Thursday to go through our new plans.
Best wishes,
Sean Connery
You might also benefit from using this synonym in an essay. It’s a good way to be inclusive and show that you’re talking about multiple people.
Check out the following example if you still need help:
Others have helped me get to this point. Therefore, it wouldn’t be fair to go on without crediting everyone who stepped up.
Is It Correct to Say “They”?
It is correct to say “they.” After all, it’s a simple and gender-neutral pronoun that can be used to identify a group of people.
Using “they” allows you to talk about an unspecified number of people. That’s what makes it so effective.
So, yes, it is formal. You can use it multiple times in an essay to convey your point and show that you’re talking about multiple people when providing the reader with information or results.
Check out the following essay sample to find out more about it:
They helped me to analyze the problems we were facing. Without their input, it would have been a much trickier decision.
Of course, since “they” is a pronoun, you will almost always place a verb after it. Then, the rest of your sentence will make sense and be easy for readers to follow.
Therefore, you can check out the following extensions to find out more about what works well:
- They said
- They also
- They will
- They have
- They think
- They must
- They can
You should also bookmark this page before you leave. Then, you can keep coming back to remind yourself of the best synonyms for “they” to help you spice things up.