| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| you (pron.) |
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| is the second person singular and plural pronoun, and it is both nominative, as in You look tired, and objective, as in I’ll invite you. Note too that as a singular subject it takes a plural verb: You are my sunshine. You walk too fast for me. A clearly marked singular verb in such circumstances, as in You was late for the meeting or You looks tired, is blatantly Substandard and a shibboleth. Indefinite you, used when you’re addressing nobody in particular, as in When you hike in the woods, you take a risk of encountering ticks, used to be criticized by teachers as a misuse of the pronoun, but it is clearly Standard in all but the most Formal or Oratorical uses. See ONE. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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