Page 438 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

personal pronouns (2): advanced points 429
8 you: different singular and plural forms
Although standard modem English uses you for both singular and plural, separate forms exist in certain varieties of English. Some speakers in Yorkshire use tflu or tha as a singular subject form and thee as a singular object form. Some Irish and Scottish dialects have a separate plural form ye, youse or yiz. Many Americans (and increasingly, British people) use you folks or you guys (to both men and women) as an informal second-person plural.
Hi, you guys. Listen to this.
In southern US speech there is a second-person plural form you all (pronounced y'all), used instead of you when people wish to sound friendly or intimate; there is also a possessive you all's (pronounced y'all's).
Hi, everybody. How're you aU doing? What are you all's plans for Thanksgiving?
For the older English fonns chee and chou. see 392.
9 he/she who ...
The structure he/she who . .. (meaning 'the person who .. .') is found in older literature.
He who hesitates is sometimes lost.
But this is very unusual in modern English.
The person who leaves last should lock the door. OR Whoever leaves last . ..
(NOT He/S,'1e ltIh8 letllle5 last . ..)
10 politeness
It is considered polite to use names or noun phrases, rather than he, she or they, to refer to people who are present.
DadsaidIcouldgoout. -No,Ididn't. (MorepolitethanHesaidIcouldgo out.)
This lady needs an ambulance.
However, pronouns need to be used to avoid repetition (see 500). Dad said he didn't mind . .. (NOT Dttd Stlitl Dttd ditln't mind .. .)
It is considered polite to mention oneself last in double subjects or objects. Why don't you and I go away for the weeJcend? (NOT Why Mft't I anti
ymr.. .n
The invitation was for Tracy and me. (More polite than ... for me and
Tracy.)
11 leaving out personal pronouns
Personal pronouns cannot usually be left out (see 428.4).
She loved the picture because it reminded her ofhome. (NOT ••• beeal%!e
reminded her 8fh8me.)
However, jn jnformal speech, subject pronouns and/or auxiliary verbs are sometimes left out at the beginning of a sentence. For details of this, see 179.
Can't help you. I'm afraid. (= I can't ...)
Seen Paul? (= Have you seen Paul?)
We seldom put it after know. See 313 for details.
/t's getting late. - I know. (NOT { ktww it.)
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