student asking question

This one says "their pets", but in the other sentences it uses "their pet". Is it okay to use both singular and plural?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Yes! It is okay to use both singular and plural forms within different sentences. This is because "their" can act as both a singular pronoun and a plural pronoun. In the first sentence, he uses the plural form of the pronoun because he is referring to more than one pet. In his later sentences, he is using the singular form of the pronoun because he is referring to only one person's pet. Ex: The dog is their pet. Ex: Their pets are so adorable. Ex: It is their job to ensure everyone's safety. Ex: Their jobs deal with everyone's safety.

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