How we use the word 'you'

For example, every other language in the world just says it literally 'one would do this' but in english you say 'you would do this'

And this causes so many misunderstandings! I asked someone, well this is paraphrasing but, i said 'what will you know at the end of the year?' she is sophomore i am freshmen, she thought I meant it as in what would one know, as in what will I know in my classes, when I meant what will you know as in what will you know at the end of your sophomore year.

English annoys me so much.

I say we should just go to saying "one would" instead of "you would"

What do you think?

All languages have quirks like this. You just have to accept it. It is what it is.

alexbeard:How we use the word 'you'

For example, every other language in the world just says it literally 'one would do this' but in english you say 'you would do this'

And this causes so many misunderstandings! I asked someone, well this is paraphrasing but, i said 'what will you know at the end of the year?' she is sophomore i am freshmen, she thought I meant it as in what would one know, as in what will I know in my classes, when I meant what will you know as in what will you know at the end of your sophomore year.

English annoys me so much.

I say we should just go to saying "one would" instead of "you would"

What do you think?

It can also be a problem for us UK english speakers.

It would be correct to use "what does one think?" but this can be seen as being to stuffy and using the old stiff upper lip.

I think English does have some strange traits, but it can also be a persons perception of the correct way to say a thing that also causes problems.

We need to promote Eo more, that would make it better

*Drako*:

I say we should just go to saying "one would" instead of "you would"

Well, you're quite right, that's the way it should be said unless one refers to the person directly. It's modern culture that is lacking, not the language.

In general day to day parlance I would not say, 'If one was to...', as people would find that rather strange. In an important piece of factual writing however, I'd consider it important to use the proper terminology, if I expect to be taken seriously.

It would be correct to use "what does one think?"

It wouldn't, as such a question would be directed toward a person specifically, and so would be, 'What do you think?'. To refer to a non-specific 'you' would be, 'What is one to think?'.

Personally, I could very happily revert to Early Modern English.

Good point, but as you say it would sound strange. It would be great to have Early modern English as a standard but it would not fit in with modern youf.

Any language has its imperfections (even the esperanto)
Often, you have no choice.

In my language, french, sometimes we forget how to write some conjugated verbs, so we avoid them and use others, or we say "how would you write this ?" but we feel us a little shame...

I can't hate my language because i don't have an other native language, it's the roots of my culture.

Colloquial American English does have such a plural "you": y'all.

"Y'all come back now, ya hear?"

Not that I would suggest using it in professional publications. But the fact that it's there at all suggests that others essentially agree with you.

RiotNrrd:Colloquial American English does have such a plural "you": y'all.

CAE has LOTS of forms: y'all (mainly South) yinz (Pittsburgh area), youse (mid-atlantic), you guys (midwest-great lakes).

joke: What's the plural of y'all?

All y'all!

Ha. That was a rant I made when I wasn't even awake and I hadn't even had breakfast yet..But I stand by it

And, yeah, saying "one" instead of "you" would sound sort of weird

But I have had so many arguments come up from the use of the word you

One has no idea how many confused people I've had to explain vosotros (spanish 2nd person plural) to. A lot of people have this idea in their heads that if it doesn't exist in english, it doesn't exist in any other language and that other langauges are just different words word for word....

alexbeard:A lot of people have this idea in their heads that if it doesn't exist in english, it doesn't exist in any other language and that other langauges are just different words word for word....

I see this all the time with other people as well. I hate it, but what can you expect? Their knowledge rests in other areas. My friends know nothing about languages; I know nothing about cars or sports.

Which I suppose makes me a stereotypical nerd, but I don't care. >.>

*Drako*:

"Y'all come back now, ya hear?"

Not that I would suggest using it in professional publications.

Lol! Imagine!

joke: What's the plural of y'all?

All y'all!

Haha! I have actually heard English people say, 'all yous', instead of 'all of you'.

In Early Modern English, 'you' was actually the plural for indicating more than one individual, the singular being 'thou'.

We lost something there, that should sensibly, have been preserved.

In Newfoundland we have the plural: "ye".
It isn`t funny, or perceived as being of a lesser English here.

Of course, here there are still some old guys who use "dee, or "'ee" for the singular.

It feels really strange to me when I`m traveling in Mainland North America and have to refer to multiple people in the singular "you". I also find I want to use the Esperanto "ci", but I suppress it because some seem to think it shouldn`t be used.

In terms of "what`s one to do." "they" has always worked fine. What modern grammarian decided it was no good, and why did we listen?