Impersonal Pronouns One, You, and They | (A-Level, Basic)
Summary
| One |
You |
They |
|
Examples:
One should exercise regularly.
One can learn a lot from one’s own mistakes.
|
Examples:
You should eat vegetables every day.
How do you spell this word?
|
Examples:
They say it will rain tomorrow.
They eat a lot of fish in this country.
|
|
“One” refers to people in general, including the speaker.
|
“You” refers to people in general.
|
“They” refers to an unspecified group of people, such as authorities, experts, or people in general.
|
|
Used in formal or general statements and in very formal written language such as academic or professional texts.
Indirect and very impersonal.
|
Common in instructions or general advice and in everyday language and informal writing.
Too direct and personal for very formal or academic writing.
|
Used in both formal and informal situations. Less direct and personal than "you."
|
Impersonal Pronouns
We usually think of pronouns as referring to a person: me, you, them, and so on. Impersonal pronouns refer to no one specifically.
For example, if you say,
You should come to the party, Tom
it is clear that you are talking to a specific person (Tom).
ICSA | Pexels
However, you can make a general statement such as,
You should eat vegetables every day
where you are using the impersonal “you” to address people in general. When you say this to people, they usually understand you are not talking about them directly. Sometimes people need to ask for clarification, but usually the context makes it clear.
One, You, They
“One,” “you,” and “they” are impersonal pronouns. They do not refer to a specific person but to people in general or a group of people. Let’s analyze each of them.
Impersonal pronoun "one”
“One" refers to people in general, including the speaker. It is used in formal or general statements, and it is very indirect and impersonal.
You will find “one” as an impersonal pronoun in very formal written language such as academic or professional texts.
Tomas Anunziata | Pexels
Examples using the impersonal “one”
- One must be 21 years or older to enter this club.
- One must complete one’s assignments on time.
- One must do one’s best to be successful.
Note. The above examples are very formal. Even in formal writing, you can rewrite them to avoid using “one." For example, you can write “Customers must be 21 or older to enter this club” or “Students must complete their assignments on time.
Impersonal pronoun “you”
The impersonal pronoun “you” refers to people in general or directly to the listener or reader. It is common when giving instructions or general advice.
It is direct and personal, making the listener or reader feel involved, so it is common in everyday language and in informal writing such as emails and conversations.
cottonbro studio | Pexels
Examples using the impersonal “you”
- You must complete your assignments on time.
- You should not eat too much sugar because it is bad for your health.
- You must finish the project by the end of the month.
- You cannot believe everything you find on the internet.
Note. The impersonal “you” is generally avoided in formal and academic writing because it is too informal and direct.
The impersonal “they”
The impersonal “they” refers to an unspecified group of people such as authorities, experts, or people in general. It is less direct and informal than “you,” so it is used in both formal and informal language.
Examples using the impersonal “they”
- What language do they speak in Brazil?
- Do they sell shoes in this store?
- They say Thailand is a beautiful country.
- They believe that artificial intelligence will change the way people access information.
Note. If you know the group that “they” refers to, use the specific group instead. For example, instead of saying, “They believe that artificial intelligence will change the way people access information,” you can say, “Scientists believe that…” or “Deep learning engineers believe that…”
Practice
Practice 1. Fill in the blanks with reflexive pronouns.
Practice 2. Answer questions using reflexive pronouns.
Related Lesson
Congratulations on completing this lesson!
Thanks to our supporters!
This material has been made possible by supporters like you. Learn how you can support us.
“What should I learn next?”
Use the navigation buttons to choose another topic or lesson.
Thank you for Supporting Snap Language
Snap Language supporters make the creation of these materials possible.
Learn how you can support our work, get perks, and help us continue creating high-quality materials.
You can support us by simply white-listing this site.