Everyone has their mobile phone

[Rich7]

Test No. errors/elem-13 "Telephones", question 7

Almost everybody today has their own mobiles phone or 'cell phone' as people in North America call it.

(a) everybody
(b) has
(c) mobiles phone

Test No. errors/elem-13 "Telephones", answer 7

Almost everybody today has their own mobile phone or 'cell phone' as people in North America call it.

Correct entry: mobile phone
The error was: (c) mobiles phone

You have found the error but your entry is incorrect.
Almost everybody today has their own mobile phones or 'cell phone' as people in North America call it.
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why is it not "mobile phones"?
why their and not his?
"everybody = his" or everybody=their

[Torsten]

Hi Rich7,

That's a very interesting question. Alan prefers to use this modern way of expressing the third person singular because it refers to both sexes - female as well as male.
So, instead of saying «everyone has his or her own mobile phone» (which is a rather clumsy construction) we say «everyone has their own mobile phone» meaning that «everyone»is one person, either female or male and thus it's phone not phones.

Let me know if this makes sense to you.
Thanks
Torsten
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Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Guest]

correctlly explained and perfectly understood.

Thanks a ton.