them
them — determiner
1. a non-standard spoken form of 'those', used in many regional dialects of English
a non-standard spoken form of 'those', used in many regional dialects of English to point to specific people or things that are not close to the speaker
Rachid told the shopkeeper he wanted to buy them apples on the wooden counter.
non-standard determiner: them + noun for 'those + noun'
Élise picked up them heavy boxes from the garage and carried them to the truck.
Tariq told the driver them boxes needed to go to the warehouse, not the shop.
In them days, nobody locked their doors at night in our little village.
- those
the standard form; appropriate in all registers
文法句型
them + noun phrase (dialectal for 'those + noun')
用法筆記
This usage is not standard English. It occurs in working-class British dialects, some American regional speech, and other non-standard varieties. Never use in formal or academic writing — replace with 'those'.
常見錯誤
them — pronoun
1. the form of 'they' that serves as the grammatical object of a sentence — placed
the form of 'they' that serves as the grammatical object of a sentence — placed right after an action word like 'see', 'help', or 'call', or a linking word like 'for', 'to', or 'with', to point back to a group of people or things mentioned earlier
Jin invited Ritu to join them for dinner at the new Burmese place.
verb + object pronoun: invited + them
Christopher found the lost classroom keys and handed them to the caretaker.
Yara bought mangoes at the stand and put them in a bowl on the table.
Stray cats gather every evening, and a kind neighbour always leaves food out for them.
文法句型
verb + them
preposition + them
be + them
用法筆記
The object form of 'they'. Use after transitive verbs (help them, see them, call them), after prepositions (to them, for them, with them, about them), and after the verb 'be' in standard English (It was them at the door). Never use as a sentence subject — that requires 'they'.
常見錯誤
2. the object form of 'they' when it points to a single person whose gender the spe
the object form of 'they' when it points to a single person whose gender the speaker does not know, has not stated, or considers unimportant — commonly following words like 'someone', 'anyone', or 'a person'
Apologise to customers who call about late delivery and offer them a refund code.
singular 'them' for a person of unknown gender in a service context
When a passenger reported a missing suitcase, the station staff helped them fill out a form.
singular 'them' after 'help' (unknown gender)
Walid asked each person to share ideas, and he listened carefully to them.
Daichi told the clerk about a lost bag; he offered to keep it for them.
- him or her
more formal and explicit about both gender options; less common in modern usage
- that person
emphasises the individual; useful in formal writing
文法句型
verb + them (singular)
someone / anyone / a person + singular them
用法筆記
In modern English, using 'them' to refer to a single person of unknown gender is widely accepted in both speech and writing. Major style guides (APA, Chicago, MLA, Oxford) endorse this usage. Common antecedents include 'someone', 'anyone', 'nobody', 'everyone', 'a person', 'the customer', 'the winner'.
常見錯誤
3. the object pronoun for a person whose identity is outside the male-female binary
the object pronoun for a person whose identity is outside the male-female binary — applied when that person has indicated that 'they/them' are their pronouns and does not wish to be called 'him' or 'her'
Esme uses they/them pronouns, so refer to them by name or use 'they'.
non-binary referent: uses they/them pronouns
Yael shared their thoughts on the project, and the team listened to them.
Soraya asked the journalist to check with them before publishing any quotes from the interview.
Quinn uses they/them pronouns, so I always check with them before sharing details publicly.
- that person
a neutral alternative; useful when the singular-they pronoun might cause confusion
文法句型
verb + them (singular, non-binary referent)
pronouns: they/them
用法筆記
Used to respect a person who identifies as non-binary. The individual may specify 'they/them' as their pronouns. This usage is increasingly standard in professional, academic, and social settings. When in doubt about someone's pronouns, use their name or ask politely.