I know there are different opinions on this issue. My question: Is using "he" for a general, gender-neutral third person still in common use for formal writing? By common use I mean, can I expect my paper not to be penalised because I use "he" as pronoun for "a student", etc.?
I think "he/she" is too clumsy and I am not comfortable with singular they.
Its correctness, as with any language usage, will depend on your audience. In England, in most formal writing, using "he" in this context would communicate that you were either unaware of contemporary good usage, or deliberately flouting it.
[Edit, prompted by the OP:] For example, from the Transport for London editorial style guide (a major municipal highways authority & public transport operator with a multi-billion pound (dollar/euro) turnover:
Avoid giving offence by using outdated or patronising terms and include references to gender only when it is essential. Using the plural can be helpful: customers; local people; employees
(my emphasis)
[Edit 2] Similarly, from the Training and Development Agency for Schools style guide:
they, he/she
Use they in preference to he/she: if the candidate passes the test, they should... If possible, try to avoid using gender specific pronouns, e.g. candidates who pass the test should…
(emphasis in the original)
The question admits no simple answer. Moreover, only by an effort can one disentangle the answer from politics, and even then not wholly. Nevertheless, let us make the effort and try.
Why to prefer he
On the one hand, English is a Germanic language, which means among others that it has never sought a complete set of unambiguous pronouns. A Germanic language distinguishes pronouns extensively by context. For a famous example, consider the modern German sie, "she," and Sie, "you" (formal), the two words capitalized differently (though not so at the beginning of a sentence) but always pronounced alike. Whereas in English, it is she that has her own, distinctive pronoun; in modern German it is er, he.
Clumsy? Maybe. But that's Germanism for you, with roots as deep as Herodotus' tales of the frozen forests of the dim, Germanic north. You cannot alter the essential way the Germanic languages approach pronouns but by uprooting the language family entire. The pattern is etched in the languages' bones.
At any rate, on Germanic grounds, the preferred pronoun in the sex-indefinite semantical singular would be he.
Why to prefer they
On the other hand, unlike modern German, English does admit a peculiar but nevertheless respectable, centuries-old alternative to he in the sex-indefinite semantical singular. This alternative is they.
The use of they in the sex-indefinite semantical singular is admittedly soft because it thrashes English grammatical number—as in, "A ship's captain is responsible for everything that happens on board. They are not allowed excuses." Fortunately, the practical use of they in the semantical singular usually (though not always) proves more congenial than in it does in contrived examples like the one I have just given. Unobjectionable examples of the following kind are rather more typical: "Each writer will choose the pronoun they think suits the context." (You might still prefer he, which is fine; but one cannot characterize they as wrong here.)
Both alternatives for the sex-indefinite semantical singular, he and they, have long been attested by good writers. Both can and probably should be used, even in the same literary work.
The use and misuse of she
In recent decades, we have sometimes seen less good writers force she into the role of the sex-indefinite semantical singular. This fad represents not English style but political agitprop and should never voluntarily be done except to achieve a specific political effect. Use he or she rather, if you must, as the emphatically sex-indefinite semantical singular.
You will hear some good writers deprecate the three-word pronounal he or she, but you should understand what they probably, actually mean—and do not mean—by deprecating it. It is doubtful that a good writer deprecates he or she when the sex-indefinite nature of the pronoun calls for particular emphasis. Moreover, it can hardly be contested that today's world (for better or for worse) furnishes more subjects than formerly that call for he or she. Still, most sex-indefinite subjects do not want such emphasis, and he or she is admittedly overused.
Regarding plain she, whose use we said was forced, we should note that not all uses of she in the sex-indefinite semantical singular actually are forced. One can use she rather than he when the sex referenced is only quasi-indefinite, understood probably to be female.
Recommendations
As a default, prefer he to they for the sex-indefinite semantical singular, on the ground that Engish is a Germanic language and that he represents the better Saxon/German.
Though we have not yet mentioned it, on the uncommon occasion on which the matter arises, consider preferring she to it as the pronoun of personification (advice I have not actually followed in the answer you are reading, if only because I did not wish to distract the topic by beginning, "English is a Germanic language, which means that she has never sought a complete set of unambiguous pronouns").
Other considerations
In a college course, of course, the wise student will avoid bucking the instructor's sensibilities in the matter, whatever these sensibilities may be. Even in the unlikely event that all you learn during the four months of the course is that you and the instructor disagree, by having given the instructor's way a fair trial, you will have established a sound, respectable right to your contrary opinion. You will also have earned a high grade in the course.
Regarding language and politics, see Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-four.
It's still considered acceptable. If you really want to cover your bases, include a definition at the front that reference to one gender imports all other genders, unless the context requires otherwise, and explain that you'll be using "he" for the sake of simplicity.
Edit: As per below discussion, using a single gender pronoun is not normally good style, although it is acceptable. The main reason to use it is when it's more important to avoid confusion about singular vs plural "they".
No, almost all English speakers and writers use "they." I'd recommend doing the same, especially in formal writing.
A summary from Huddleston and Pullum, The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, 2002, p. 426 ('%' denotes acceptable in some dialects only):
They is commonly used with a singular antecedent, as in _Someone_ has left _their_ umbrella behind. As such, it fills a gap in the gender system of the core personal pronouns by virtue of being neutral as to sex. For some speakers singular they has a distinct reflexive form themself: %_Someone_ has locked _themself_ in the attic. For discussion of singular they, see the section on gender, S17.2.4.
Further discussion including specific arguments against 'purportedly sex-neutral he' and 'she' is found on pp. 491-495, noting they are often systematically avoided for good reasons, and marking them with the % sign ('grammatical in some dialect(s) only'). It also offers further avoidance strategies, including plural and first-person antecedents.
This question was specifically studied in 2009 by Collins Dictionaries for the Committee on Bible Translation. The conclusion is that the plural generic is almost universal and increasing, against masculine generic and other alternatives.
In particular, the masculine generic (he, his, himself, etc.) reduced from 22% to 8% between 1990 and 2009 while the plural/neutral (they, them, one, themselves, etc.) increased from 65% to 84%.
http://www.niv-cbt.org/information/collins-corpus-report/
1. Generic pronouns and determiners
This part of the study considered the types of pronouns and determiners that are used to refer to indefinite pronouns (such as someone, everybody and one) and non-gender specific nouns (such as a person, each child and any teacher):
A. masculine (he, his, himself, etc.); B. feminine (she, her, herself, etc.); C. plural/gender-neutral (they, them, one, themselves, etc.); D. alternative forms (s/he, him or her, his/her, etc.)
In all the varieties of English analyzed, plural/neutral pronouns and determiners account for the majority of usages. Between 1990 and 2009, instances of masculine generic pronouns and determiners, expressed as a percentage of total generic pronoun usage in general written English, fell from 22% to 8%.
e.g. ‘…when a person accepts unconditional responsibility, he denies himself the privilege of “complaining” and “finding faults.”’
Instances of ‘alternative’ generic pronouns and determiners fell from 12% to 8%.
e.g. ‘Any citizen who wants to educate himself or herself has plenty of sources from which to do so.’
Instances of plural/neutral generic pronouns and determiners rose from 65% to 84%.
e.g. ‘If you can identify an individual who metabolises nicotine faster you can treat them more effectively.’
Figures for the other corpora analyzed in the study are broadly comparable with figures from the general written English corpus both in overall magnitude and in the general trend over time.
Google Ngrams provides another view of the relative prevalence of these terms over time. The option 'he or she' grew tenfold in the 70s (previously apparently legalese), peaked in the late 90s, and has been falling back again since. This chart suggests that 'he or she' took over usage from both generic 'he' and generic 'they' (and replacement of masculine examples with feminine, boosting 'she' alone -- note this rough tool is measuring usage far broader than the generic). This indicates that the predominance of generic 'they' is not recent, but has a long tradition, far predating 'he or she.'
I'd personally consider masculine generic an archaic form, even before considering the important social reasons to prefer a gender-neutral alternative. But there are geographic locations (and maybe even academic fields) where you could expect your paper not to be penalised due to ongoing use of the masculine generic.
Personally (and with the bias of a mid-western American English speaker), it sounds out-dated to use he or she in this case; the plural they avoids any gender bias. Alternatively, you also works as a replacement, however the tone may become too direct and commanding, which some may find disturbing.
Consider:
When writing formally or for a company or publication, always be sure to follow the recommended style guide; it may indicate which you should use. (It may also indicate that one should use "she" or alternate between "he" and "she" when referring to different people in order to ensure that one pronoun isn't overused.)
By definition:
HE
pronoun
used to refer to a man, boy, or male animal previously mentioned or easily identified.
"everyone liked my father—he was the perfect gentleman"
noun
1.
a male; a man.
"is that a he or a she?"
UNDERSTAND?
That very simply means that HE is GENDER SPECIFIC. If a writer intends to be "GENDER NEUTRAL" then use the proper word by definition.
Yes. Writers can write anything they want meaning anything they want. Writing is a tool used to make languages be read. Yes. Readers can read writing in anyway their single brain celled mind dictates. Some will penalize, others not.
JUST WRITE IT CORRECTLY IN THE FIRST PLACE = FEWER ISSUES and most likely NO PENALTY.
