You is a second person pronoun that is used when the speaker or writer directly addresses the audience. Because you is appropriate in certain situations but can be distracting in others, it’s important to look at some general guidelines regarding its use.

1. Avoid using you in academic writing.

As a general rule, you is used in business correspondence, such as emails, memos and letters, but not in academic writing such as research papers and essays. In correspondence, the writer speaks directly to the reader. Academic research papers and essays have a wider audience than just one person, and it is customary to avoid speaking to the audience directly.

Incorrect: You will find that the techniques discussed in this research paper can be used in a variety of classroom settings.

Revised: Teachers will find that the techniques discussed in this research paper can be used in a variety of classroom settings.

2. Use you only when it specifically refers to the reader.

Use you only when you want to address your reader directly and specifically. For example, when you write an email message or letter to a coworker, you is appropriate; however, if in your message you are not directly addressing the reader but are instead simply talking about people in general, you’ll want to try rewording the sentence or using another term.

Incorrect: Students may feel confused if you do not explain the guidelines clearly.

Revised: Students may feel confused if the guidelines are not explained clearly.

3. Use you in positive situations; avoid you in negative situations.

This rule is quite simple: use you in positive situations, but avoid using you in negative situations, especially when it appears to place blame on the reader. You establishes a direct connection between your message and the reader, so you’ll want to avoid directly connecting the reader to negative situations with this pronoun. If the reader feels directly connected to negative situations, he/she might become angry or intimidated, and this reaction, in turn, could impact the reader’s receptiveness to your message. An easy solution is to connect an inanimate object or a group to the negative instead as shown in the following example:

Incorrect: You must seek approval before you use vacation time.

Revised: Employees must seek approval before they use vacation time.  or Using vacation time requires a supervisor's approval.

However, if your message conveys positive information, it’s important that you directly link the reader to that positive information by using the pronouns you and your. Linking the reader to positive information will increase the likelihood that he/she will respond positively to your message.

Incorrect: The report was favored by all of the departments.

Revised: Your report was favored by all of the departments.

Generally, the use of you is appropriate in business correspondence when the message is directed to a specific reader within the context of a positive situation.

Second person (n) Second person is the grammatical category of forms where the speaker or writer refers to the person addressed. Examples of forms in the second person include English pronouns such as you.

Definitions adapted from Dictionary.com.

In addition to our website, we recommend a Writer’s Block Writing Tip entitled “The Second Person.” This article offers further discussion of when is appropriate to use the second person.

Test your understanding of the use of you by rewriting the following sentences. Note that some sentences may not have to be rewritten.

1. Your sales figures for this quarter were outstanding.

2. We have granted the refund request.

3. You did not send your rent check in by the deadline.

Answers
1. Your sales figures for this quarter were outstanding. (correct as is)

2. Your refund request has been granted.

3. The rent check did not arrive by the deadline.

[Note that answers may vary. Even if you do not see your answer here, it may still be correct.]

Grammatically Correct is a grammar tip of the week created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors at the University of Houston-Victoria in Victoria, Texas.

Comments about this newsletter should be directed to Summer Leibensperger, leibenspergers@uhv.edu.

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