English personal pronouns - Definition and Overview

The English personal pronouns are classified as follows:

• First person refers to the speaker(s).
• Second person refers to the person(s) being spoken to.
• Third person refers to someone else.
• Reflexive pronouns are used as the object of a sentence when the subject and object match.
• Possessive pronouns are used to show ownership.

1. Sometime between 1600 and 1800, the various forms of thou began to pass out of common usage in most places, except in poetry, archaic-style literature, and descriptions of other languages' pronouns. Thou refers to one person who is familiar, though as in other European languages, it is also used of God. Thou still exists in northern England and Scotland, and in some Christian religious communities.
2. In Scotland, ye is the plural you. In older times and in some other places today, ye is the nominative case and you is the accusative case. Some English dialects generalised ye, while standard English generalised you. Some dialects use ye as a clipped or clitic form of you.
3. Although using they as a singular pronoun when sex is not known or is not important is often condemned by traditionalists, it is often found in informal speech. In fact, it is a revival of an earlier usage and may one day become standard usage because it is so common; it also avoids awkward constructions like "he or she". This usage is authorised and preferred by the Australian Government Manual of Style for official usage in government documents.
4. Y'all, youse and you-uns are often used in colloquial speech as a plural form of you. The phrases you was and you were are also used to distinguish singluar and plural.
5. The only common distinction between singular and plural you is in the reflexive and emphatic forms.
6. English regional dialects often use variant pronouns.