Page 403 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

one, you and they: indefinite personal pronouns 396
9 One(s) always refers back
We use one(s) to avoid repeating a noun which has been mentioned before. It cannot normally be used in other cases.
. Let's go and ask the old man for advice. (NOT ••• (13k the Bid Bite • ••)
396 one, you and they: indefinite personal pronouns
1 one and you: meaning
We can use one or you to talk about people in general, including the speaker and hearer.
OnelYou cannot learn a language in six weeks. OnelYou should never give people advice.
2 one and you: formality and class
One is more formal than you (and more common in writing than in speech). Compare:
Ifyou want to make people angry, you just have to tell them the truth.
If one wishes to make oneseLf thoroughLy unpopular, one has mereLy to tell
people the truth.
One is often considered typical of more upper-class and intellectual usage, and is avoided by many people for this reason.
3 one and you: only used in generalisations
One and you are only used in this way in very general statements, when we are talking about 'anyone, at any time'. Compare:
- OnelYou can usually find people who speak EngLish in Sweden.
English is spoken in this shop. OR They speak EngLish in this shop. (NOT 9tte speales Eltglis,'1 ... - the meaning is not 'people in general')
- OnelYou shouLd knock before going into somebody's room. Somebody's knocking at the door. (NOT One is kriBeleing ...)
- It can take you/one ages to get served in this pub.
Thanks, I'm being served. (NOT Thanks, Bne is aerIJing me.)
One generally has a singular meaning: 'any individual'; it is not used to refer to whole groups.
We speak a strange diaLect where I come from. (NOT Olle speales a strange dialect where: OOfltej'rom.)
4 people including the speaker/hearer
One is not used for people who could not include the speaker; you is not used for people who could not include the hearer. Compare:
OnelYou must believe in something.
In the sixteenth century people believed in witches.
(NOT ••• Bne/y8ft beIietJetl in witehes this could not include the speaker
or hearer.)
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