He, him, his, and himself are sometimes used to refer back to an indefinite pronoun or to a word such as person, child, or student.

Many people object to this use because it suggests that the person referred to is male.

You can sometimes use he or she, him or her, his or her, or himself or herself.

Many people avoid these expressions because they think they sound clumsy and unnatural, especially when more than one of them is used in the same sentence.

In writing, some people use s/he to mean he or she.

Most people use they, them, and their.

This use used to be considered incorrect, but it is now the most common form in both spoken and written English, and is used in formal and informal writing.

It is often possible to avoid all the above uses. You can sometimes do this by using plurals. For example, instead of saying 'Every student has his own room', you can say 'All the students have their own rooms'. Instead of saying 'Anyone who goes inside must take off his shoes', you can say 'People who go inside must take off their shoes'.

She can be the subject of a verb. You use she to refer to a woman, girl, or female animal that has already been mentioned, or whose identity is known.

When the subject of a sentence is followed by a relative clause, you do not use she in front of the main verb. You do not say, for example, 'The woman who lives next door, she is a doctor'. You say 'The woman who lives next door is a doctor'.

She is sometimes used instead of 'it' to refer to a country, ship, or car.