The generic “you” refers to a large population, but can cause confusion when used as a definite pronoun. It is informal and should be avoided in academic or professional writing. “One” is a more formal alternative, but can be repetitive. Specific terms should be used instead.
The generic you is an indefinite pronoun that is often used in the third person, which essentially refers to a large population. However, confusion can arise in the use of this term, as “you” is often used to mean a very particular person, when used as a definite pronoun. The generic should generally only be used in informal writing as it is considered familiar and should be avoided in most academic or professional writing in the third person. An alternative to this “you” is the indefinite pronoun “one”, which in some situations can seem rather stuffy or overly academic.
This can be found in a sentence like “It is important that you finish your homework before watching television”. While this sentence can be read as written in the second person, when addressing a particular individual, it can also be in the third person. In this format, the “you” in the sentence is a generic you that does not necessarily refer to the specific reader, but to people in general.
The use of the generic is considered informal and is often found in conversation; should only be used in casual writing. Someone writing an email or memo to a friend can use this “you” without issue, although care must be taken to ensure there is no confusion. A reader may see a “you” and assume that something is written in the second person and that “you” refers to the reader. People who read a statement like, “For proper health, you really should eat more vegetables,” might assume that it’s specifically meant for them. This use of the generic can lead to miscommunication and offense, so care should be taken in its presentation.
A much more formal alternative to the generic te is the word “one,” which can be used in much the same way. The previous example could be rewritten as “It is important to finish your homework before watching television”. Both of these examples are grammatically accurate, but the use of “one” makes this last sentence seem much more formal and potentially stifling. For academic or professional writing the use of “one” may be acceptable, although overuse can get repetitive quite quickly.
In general, writers should avoid indefinite pronouns such as the generic you. More specific terms with more meaning can be used to identify a person. The previous example could be rewritten as “It is important that students finish their homework before watching television”. This is specific and makes the sentence easier to read.
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