Subject: Re: [PATCH 2/4] *: use singular they in comments

From: Junio C Hamano <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 08 Jun 2021 04:02:30 +0900

"Derrick Stolee via GitGitGadget" <[email-masked]> writes:

> @@ -1178,7 +1178,7 @@ static void handle_signed_tag(struct commit *parent, struct commit_extra_header
>  	/*
>  	 * We could verify this signature and either omit the tag when
>  	 * it does not validate, but the integrator may not have the
> -	 * public key of the signer of the tag he is merging, while a
> +	 * public key of the signer of the tag they are merging, while a
>  	 * later auditor may have it while auditing, so let's not run
>  	 * verify-signed-buffer here for now...
>  	 *

This is not wrong per-se, but "the tag being merged" is something I
would have written, as naive non-native English speakers would find
it disturbing and ungrammatical that "the integrator" singular is
matched with "singular" they, which goes opposite from what they
were taught in their foreign language classes [*1*].

Perhaps offer a passive voice as a weaker alternative to the
singular they in the guidelines patch?

[Footnote]

*1* I started writing this paragraph first with a singular subject
    "a naive non-native speaker", found "his or her foreign language
    class" problematic, and worked it around by make the statement
    about plural speakers.  That may qualify as the third option.