It’s as Southern as eating cornbread, drinking sweet tea, and swatting mosquitoes on a porch in the summer – using the word “all of you” is a quintessential Southern trait. If you’re a lifelong Southern transplant, Yankee, or just passing through, chances are you’re familiar with this basic Southern saying, but do you know how to use it properly?
‘You’ versus ‘Already’ Is there really a difference?
The answer is yes. Ya’ll is totally wrong. There is only one correct way to spell or use “you,” so whatever you do, don’t use the dreaded “already.” You may have heard people say that “all of you” is not proper English, but it is really misspelled “ya” that can get you into trouble.
How the saying originated and evolved
While “all of you” is actually a contraction for “all of you” and is therefore technically correct, it is more commonly used in place of the plural form of “you.” The apostrophe after the “y” represents the missing “ooo” sound of the letters O and U. This explains why the spelling “ya” sometimes looks wrong.
Generally speaking, “you” is the second person singular pronoun, while “all of you” is the modern English response to a second person plural pronoun. There are other ways to make “you” plural in other parts of the English-speaking world, such as simply saying “you” (common in most of the northern United States), “you” (Great Britain), or even ” youse ‘(Australia), but even two out of three of them simply add a word to’ you ‘.
In Spanish, the second personal plural pronoun is you or you. In informal German, it is ihr . While English speakers may at some point have used “you” for its second person plural, these days we are much more likely to use one of the above examples, unless we quote Shakespeare.
Other ways to use you
English speakers don’t just limit themselves to “you” to convey their meaning. “All of you” (or “all of you”), on the other hand, is an occasional variation that some use to refer to a group of people (as opposed to just two or three). For example:
- When talking to two or three people: “Are you going to the movies?”
- When talking to various people: “Do you all go to the movies?”
Things get even more complicated when the possessive form of the word is used. For example:
- “Is this your car?”
- “Is this your favorite color?”
Note, however, that there is some debate about the spelling of the possessive form of “all of you.” Some will spell it “you” while others will spell it “you.” Since there does not appear to be an official answer, it is a matter of personal preference.
Is it really acceptable?
Although “all of you” are generally not considered appropriate for formal writing, it is not an incorrect or incorrect term, nor does it indicate a failure to understand grammar or the English language. It’s just another way the language has evolved over time to provide us with a much-needed second-person plural pronoun. Therefore, use it without fear when speaking with friends, especially in the South, but avoid it in university newspapers or professional communications.
