10. Replace the gender-specific pronoun with one.
This technique should be reserved for formal or literary writing; otherwise, one can risk sounding like one has a pickle up one’s a—.
A nurse in the United States is likely to earn more than she is in Canada.×
A nurse in the United States is likely to earn more than one in Canada.√
No one should sacrifice family life for his career.×
One should not sacrifice family life for one’s career.√
The singular they
Once in a while you will encounter a sentence that doesn’t work with any of these techniques. For example: To each his own. In this case, you are welcome to use the pronoun they in a singular fashion. Read my previous post on this topic.
Conclusion
As you can see, gender-neutral writing doesn’t have to be stiff and awkward. The structure of your sentence will determine which techniques you can use, but there are plenty of options to keep you covered. Experiment with different approaches, and use what works best for you.
After all, to each their own.