Second Person
What Is Second Person?
The term "second person" refers to the speaker's audience (i.e.,"you"). For example:- I am speaking to you about her. ("I" is the speaker, so "I" is in the first person. "You" is the person being spoken to, so "you" is in the second person. "Her" is in the third person.)
Table of Contents
- "Second Person" Explained
- Second Person in Grammar
- Examples of Second Person Pronouns in Different Cases
- First, Second, and Third Person Pronouns
- Why the Second Person Is Important
- Video Lesson
- Test Time!
"Second Person" Explained
"Second person" is another way of saying "you." In other words, it is the person or people being spoken to. For example:- The teacher is speaking to you.
- The policeman is looking at you. (Even though this example is about looking, the speaker is talking to "you.")
- You are a star!
- First person: "I" and "we"
- Second person: "you"
- Third person: "he/she/it" and "they"
Second Person in Grammar
Examples of Second Person Pronouns in Different Cases
Here are the second person pronouns in the subjective case, the objective case, and the possessive case:Person | Subjective Case | Objective Case | Possessive Case Possessive Determiner | Possessive Case Possessive Pronouns |
---|---|---|---|---|
Second Person Singular | you Example: You left early. |
you Example: She likes you. |
your Example: That was your fault. |
yours These are yours. |
Second Person Plural | you Example: You left early. |
you Example: She likes you. |
your Example: That was your fault. |
yours These are yours. |
First, Second, and Third Person Pronouns
The table below shows the first, second, and third person pronouns. The second person pronouns are shaded.Person | Subjective Case | Objective Case | Possessive Case Possessive Determiner | Possessive Case Possessive Pronouns |
---|---|---|---|---|
First Person Singular | I | me | my | mine |
Second Person Singular | you | you | your | yours |
Third Person Singular | he/she/it | him/her/it | his/her/its | his/hers/its |
First Person Plural | we | us | our | ours |
Second Person Plural | you | you | your | yours |
Third Person Plural | they | them | their | theirs |
Why the Second Person Is Important
In business writing, the first person adds a personal touch, and the third person adds formality. In storytelling, the first person makes it easier to engage your readers, and the third person affords the author a God-like status (i.e., as an all-seeing narrator). There are no such traits with the second person. It's the least interesting of the three person categories from a writing perspective. Nevertheless, here are three good reasons to care about the second person.(Reason 1) Be mindful of the difference between "yourself" and "yourselves."
The second-person personal pronoun "you" has two forms: a singular form ("you are") and a plural form ("you are"). Hang on! Nothing changed! They are both "you are"! That's true. But, it's not always true. Look at these examples:- You can help yourself to the cakes. (Here, "you" is singular.)
- You can help yourselves to the cakes. (Here, "you" is plural.)
(Reason 3) The subject of an order is "you."
The subject of an imperative sentence (i.e. one that gives an order) is "you." However, most of the time, the "you" is omitted. The "you" is said to be "understood" (i.e., is present without being present). For example:- Call me if you need help. (There is an understood "you" in this order.)
- [You] Call me if you need help. (This is how we treat it, even though we don't say the "you.")
- Contact your line manager or myself if you have any questions. (You can't use "myself" with "you" (even an understood "you" in an order). This should be "me" not "myself.")
(Reason 3) Understanding the person categories is useful for learning a foreign language.
Teachers and reference books all use the person categories to explain how grammar works (particularly verbs). So, if you are learning a foreign language or teaching English, it is essential to get comfortable with the person categories. Here are some examples of how the person categories appear in language books:Person | English | German | French | Spanish |
---|---|---|---|---|
First Person Singular | I play | ich spiele | je joue | yo juego |
Second Person Singular | you play | du spielst | tu joues | tu juegas |
Third Person Singular | he/she/it plays | er/sie/es spielt | il/elle joue | el/ella/usted juega |
First Person Plural | we play | wir spielen | nous jouons | nosotros jugamos |
Second Person Plural | you play | ihr spielt | vous jouez | vosotros jagais |
Third Person Plural | they play | Sie spielen | ils/ells jouent | ellos/ellas/ustedes juegan |
Key Point
- "Myself" is not a posh version of "me." (You can't use "myself" after an imperative verb.)
- Send your proposals to Simon or myself.
Video Lesson
Watch a video summarizing "grammatical person" (i.e., first person, second person, and third person) video lessonAre you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos.
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Test Time!
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