You – A Common Second-Person Plural Pronoun

you

You is a common second-person plural pronoun. Historically, you was used only in the dative case, but it is now used in all cases and numbers. It is also used with possessives. This article explains the various forms of the pronoun. This article explains the use of you and its different meanings.

In the past, thou and yous marked an intimate relationship between a superior and inferior. In some cases, they were used to convey deliberate disrespect. Queen Elizabeth I often used you instead of me in writing. She was someone of great prestige. This usage was used in informal communication, too. This idiomatic usage of you has helped it become popular.

The distinction between you and ye isn’t entirely clear, but they are related. The word you is derived from the archaic Swedish I, while ye is the singular form of a similar word. Both forms originated from the same Proto-Germanic *iwwiz. Proto-Germanic *iwwiz was similar to the Old English eow.

Youse is a plural form of you, though its use is uncommon in educated speech. The pronoun you is often omitted in imperative sentences, but you may use it before or after the verb, particularly if you’re addressing a group. In negative imperatives, you may include the pronoun before the verb. In informal communication, you’ll usually use you guys to refer to a group of people.

A common mistake that can confuse English learners is using homophones. A homophone is a word that sounds similar but has different meanings. In this case, your should use you’re instead of you’re. You may want to avoid these words altogether if you’re learning English online. Just be sure to use apostrophes to distinguish between homophones.