AN ACTUAL HORRIBLE EXAMPLE

But “one” suggests any old “one” you can think of, while his or her refers to a specific person referred to or implied elsewhere. Often, “that one” (perfectly correct grammatically) would be useful.

I’ll borrow an actual paragraph from a widely sold book on counseling. I’ve changed the nouns and  subject matter but have left the sentence structure and pronouns intact:

     “You have also listened as your friend has described his or her feelings about how the  procrastination has affected his or her co-workers. You helped your friend figure out how to talk with the co-workers about his or her problem.”

I can almost sense that the writer was wincing at “his or her” own paragraph but may have thought the English language offered no better alternative. But let’s imagine “that one” had even begun to be used by some writers:

     “You have also listened as your friend has described that one’s feelings about how the procrastination has affected that one’s co-workers. You helped your friend figure out how to talk with the co-workers about that one’s problem.”

I’ll admit all those “that one’s” might sound a trifle odd but that’s partly because the original wasn’t too well written in the first place. At least one of the pronouns might have been replaced with “your friend’s.”

All new language usage sounds a bit odd at first. The almost unpronounceable “Ms” as the alternative to “Miss or Mrs.” sounded odd at first but is now widely accepted, because it simplifies our language. “His or Her,” which complicates our language horribly, sounded odd at first, and I predict, always will.

RhymeCon

Her eyes may the glow-worm lend thee,

The shooting stars attend thee;

    And the elves also,

    Whose little eyes glow

Like the sparks of fire, befriend thee.

No will-o’-th’-wisp mislight thee;

Nor snake, nor slow-worm bite thee;

   But on, on thy way,

   Not making a stay,

Since ghost there’s none to affright thee.

Let not the dark thee cumber;

What though the moon does slumber;

   The stars of the night

   Will lend thee thy light,

Like tapers clear without number.

Then, Julia, let me woo thee,

Thus, thus to come unto me;

   And when I shall meet

   Thy silvery feet,

My soul I’ll pour into thee.

Robert Herrick / 1591 – 1674

  Four limericks in a row - probably before that word was even in use.

   Not a minor poet, either. We still quote his line from another poem:

   “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may -" And he wrote many poems (some 

   kind of shocking) about this "Julia" chick who may have been fictitious since he 

   remained a bachelor.

     I'd love to have otherexamples of limericks of literary quality; if you know of   

   one (even if written by yourself) e-mail it and I'll give you a page to display it!