Should I say:
Wash some apples and put them into a vase.
or
Wash some apples and put it into a vase.
Is it correct to use they with inanimate objects?
asked Apr 2, 2015 at 14:30
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7I usually put flowers in a vase and apples in a bowl, but that's just nitpicking.– StephieApr 2, 2015 at 20:24
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2 Answers
Yes "they" is correct when referring to inanimate objects. From Merriam-Webster:
those ones — used as third person pronoun serving as the plural of he, she, or it...
Your second sentence is incorrect because you are referring to multiple apples.
These are both correct.
Wash an apple and put it into a vase.
Wash some apples and put them into a vase.
answered Apr 2, 2015 at 14:38
Unlike the singular "it" which always implies a non-person, the plural pronouns "they", "them", and "those" do not. The plural forms should be used for any plural noun, whether or not it is a person. There aren't actually plural forms of people-specific pronouns.
Therefore, for multiple apples, you put them into a container. And for multiple people, you still put them into a container.
