#I don't like using 'they' for singular and try to recast to avoid it wherever possible. If unavoidable, can we use 'one' instead?

I'm aware the two pronouns are not directly interchangeable & that 'they' has perfectly unambiguous meaning when used appropriately, for example, from comments:

User123 has a problem. They ought to ask about it on Meta.

However, 'they' as a singular pronoun has a lot of room for misinterpretation. It can be clumsy and often sounds inaccurate.

Asfgl decided they were going shopping. Bertim didn't want to go with them. They bought shoes.

Who did what? How many people went shopping? Who bought shoes?
Yes, I'm aware this is a tortured and not particularly elegant construction.

It would be far better recast to avoid pronouns entirely:

Asfgl decided to go shopping. Bertim didn't want to go along. Asfgl bought shoes.

Similarly artificial construction, pronouns avoided. Done.

But if there was no need to refer to any specific individual, then one ought to be free to use one's common sense in avoiding potentially confusing pronouns.

… as opposed to the truly horrible:

But if there was no need to refer to any specific individual, then they ought to be free to use their common sense in avoiding potentially confusing pronouns.

I don't like using 'they' for singular and try to recast to avoid it wherever possible. If unavoidable, can we use 'one' instead?

I'm aware the two pronouns are not directly interchangeable & that 'they' has perfectly unambiguous meaning when used appropriately, for example, from comments:

User123 has a problem. They ought to ask about it on Meta.

However, 'they' as a singular pronoun has a lot of room for misinterpretation. It can be clumsy and often sounds inaccurate.

Asfgl decided they were going shopping. Bertim didn't want to go with them. They bought shoes.

Who did what? How many people went shopping? Who bought shoes?
Yes, I'm aware this is a tortured and not particularly elegant construction.

It would be far better recast to avoid pronouns entirely:

Asfgl decided to go shopping. Bertim didn't want to go along. Asfgl bought shoes.

Similarly artificial construction, pronouns avoided. Done.

But if there was no need to refer to any specific individual, then one ought to be free to use one's common sense in avoiding potentially confusing pronouns.

… as opposed to the truly horrible:

But if there was no need to refer to any specific individual, then they ought to be free to use their common sense in avoiding potentially confusing pronouns.

#I don't like using 'they' for singular and try to recast to avoid it wherever possible. If unavoidable, can we use the rather antiquated but perfectly logical 'one' instead?

'They' as a singular pronoun has a lot of room for misinterpretation. It's clumsy and often sounds inaccurate.

Asfgl decided they were going shopping. Bertim didn't want to go with them. They bought shoes.

Who did what? How many people went shopping? Who bought shoes?
Yes, I'm aware this is a tortured and not particularly elegant construction.

It would be far better recast to avoid pronouns entirely:

Asfgl decided to go shopping. Bertim didn't want to go along. Asfgl bought shoes.

Similarly artificial construction, pronouns avoided. Done.

But if there was no need to refer to any specific individual, then one ought to be free to use one's common sense in avoiding potentially confusing pronouns.

… as opposed to the truly horrible:

But if there was no need to refer to any specific individual, then they ought to be free to use their common sense in avoiding potentially confusing pronouns.

#I don't like using 'they' for singular and try to recast to avoid it wherever possible. If unavoidable, can we use 'one' instead?

I'm aware the two pronouns are not directly interchangeable & that 'they' has perfectly unambiguous meaning when used appropriately, for example, from comments:

User123 has a problem. They ought to ask about it on Meta.

However, 'they' as a singular pronoun has a lot of room for misinterpretation. It can be clumsy and often sounds inaccurate.

Asfgl decided they were going shopping. Bertim didn't want to go with them. They bought shoes.

Who did what? How many people went shopping? Who bought shoes?
Yes, I'm aware this is a tortured and not particularly elegant construction.

It would be far better recast to avoid pronouns entirely:

Asfgl decided to go shopping. Bertim didn't want to go along. Asfgl bought shoes.

Similarly artificial construction, pronouns avoided. Done.

But if there was no need to refer to any specific individual, then one ought to be free to use one's common sense in avoiding potentially confusing pronouns.

… as opposed to the truly horrible:

But if there was no need to refer to any specific individual, then they ought to be free to use their common sense in avoiding potentially confusing pronouns.

#I don't like using 'they' for singular & try to recast to avoid it wherever possible. If unavoidable, can we use the rather antiquated but perfectly logical 'one' instead?

'They' as a singular pronoun has a lot of room for misinterpretation. It's clumsy & often sounds inaccurate.

Asfgl decided they were going shopping. Bertim didn't want to go with them. They bought shoes.

Who did what? How many people went shopping? Who bought shoes?
Yes, I'm aware this is a tortured & not particularly elegant construction.

It would be far better recast to avoid pronouns entirely…

Asfgl decided to go shopping. Bertim didn't want to go along. Asfgl bought shoes.

Similarly artificial construction, pronouns avoided. Done.

But if there was no need to refer to any specific individual, then one ought to be free to use one's common sense in avoiding potentially confusing pronouns.

…as opposed to the truly horrible…

But if there was no need to refer to any specific individual, then they ought to be free to use their common sense in avoiding potentially confusing pronouns.

#I don't like using 'they' for singular and try to recast to avoid it wherever possible. If unavoidable, can we use the rather antiquated but perfectly logical 'one' instead?

'They' as a singular pronoun has a lot of room for misinterpretation. It's clumsy and often sounds inaccurate.

Asfgl decided they were going shopping. Bertim didn't want to go with them. They bought shoes.

Who did what? How many people went shopping? Who bought shoes?
Yes, I'm aware this is a tortured and not particularly elegant construction.

It would be far better recast to avoid pronouns entirely:

Asfgl decided to go shopping. Bertim didn't want to go along. Asfgl bought shoes.

Similarly artificial construction, pronouns avoided. Done.

But if there was no need to refer to any specific individual, then one ought to be free to use one's common sense in avoiding potentially confusing pronouns.

… as opposed to the truly horrible:

But if there was no need to refer to any specific individual, then they ought to be free to use their common sense in avoiding potentially confusing pronouns.