Useful alternatives to “They” include “The people”, “The individuals”, and “The group”. Each option carries its own nuance, so the best replacement depends on the intended meaning, grammar, tone, and context.
Which Alternative to “They” Fits Best?
Quick options:
- The people
- The individuals
- The group
- The team
- Participants
- Members
- Employees
- Students
- Customers
- Users
- Residents
- Staff
- Those involved
The people
The people is a clear alternative when the referent is a group of people and greater explicitness is useful.
Example: The people who responded to the survey were mostly local residents.
The individuals
The individuals is formal and works well in research, legal, or administrative writing.
Example: The individuals were interviewed separately.
The group
The group is useful when the people have already been established as a single collective.
Example: The group agreed to meet again in June.
The team
The team is appropriate when the referent is a defined working, sporting, or project team.
Example: The team submitted its final report on Friday.
Participants
Participants is precise in studies, workshops, programmes, or activities where people are taking part.
Example: Participants completed the questionnaire online.
Members
Members works when the people belong to an organization, committee, club, or other defined body.
Example: Members voted on the proposal at the annual meeting.
Employees
Employees is suitable when the group consists specifically of people employed by an organization.
Example: Employees received the revised policy by email.
Students
Students is precise when the referent is people enrolled in education or training.
Example: Students were given an extra week to finish the assignment.
Customers
Customers is appropriate for people purchasing goods or services.
Example: Customers can request a refund within 30 days.
Users
Users works for people interacting with a product, service, platform, or system.
Example: Users can change their password from the settings page.
Residents
Residents is appropriate when the referent is people living in a particular place or facility.
Example: Residents were consulted about the traffic changes.
Staff
Staff is a collective term for employees or workers within an organization.
Example: Staff were briefed before the service reopened.
Those involved
Those involved is a useful neutral phrase when the exact roles vary but all relevant people have already been identified by context.
Example: Those involved were invited to comment on the draft.
Choosing the Right Wording for “They”
When replacing “They”, test the candidate in the complete sentence rather than relying on a thesaurus match alone. The best option preserves the intended meaning and grammatical role while matching the level of formality you need.