Tex. Gov't Code § 311.012 : GOVERNMENT CODE — LEGISLATIVE BRANCH — LEGISLATION — CODE CONSTRUCTION ACT — CONSTRUCTION OF WORDS AND PHRASES — Tense, Number, and Gender TEXT PDF (a) Words in the present tense include the future tense. (b) The singular includes the plural and the plural includes the singular. (c) Words of one gender include the other genders. Tex. Gov't. Code § 311.012 Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 479, Sec. 1, eff. 9/1/1985.