. ▁For ▁example : ▁ ▁Where as ▁n oun s ▁do ▁not ▁distinguish ▁between ▁the ▁subject ive ▁( n omin ative ) ▁and ▁ ▁objective ▁( ob lique ) ▁cases , ▁some ▁pron oun s ▁do ; ▁that ▁is , ▁they ▁decl ine ▁to ▁reflect ▁their ▁relationship ▁to ▁a ▁verb ▁or ▁pre position , ▁or ▁case . ▁Consider ▁the ▁difference ▁between ▁he ▁( subject ive ) ▁and ▁him ▁( object ive ), ▁as ▁in ▁" He ▁saw ▁it " ▁and ▁" It ▁saw ▁him "; ▁similarly , ▁consider ▁who , ▁which ▁is ▁subject ive , ▁and ▁the ▁objective ▁whom ▁( although ▁it ▁is ▁increasing ly ▁common ▁to ▁use ▁who ▁for ▁both ). ▁ ▁The ▁one ▁situation ▁where ▁gender ▁is ▁still ▁clearly ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁language ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁pron oun s ▁for ▁the ▁third ▁person ▁singular . ▁Consider ▁the ▁following : ▁ ▁The ▁distingu ishing ▁of ▁neut er ▁for ▁persons ▁and ▁non - pers ons ▁is ▁somewhat ▁peculiar ▁to ▁English . ▁This ▁has ▁existed ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century . ▁However , ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁so - called ▁singular ▁they ▁is ▁often ▁restricted ▁to ▁specific ▁context s , ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁dialect ▁or ▁the ▁speaker . ▁It ▁is ▁most ▁typically ▁used ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁a ▁single ▁person ▁of ▁unknown ▁gender ▁( e . g ., ▁" some one ▁left ▁their ▁jack et ▁behind ") ▁or ▁a ▁hypoth et ical ▁person ▁where ▁gender ▁is ▁ins ign ific ant ▁( e . g ., ▁" If ▁someone ▁wants ▁to , ▁then