I've been wondering, why is "how are you?" correct and commonly used instead of "how is you?" Since "is" is singular and "are" is plural and "you" is referring to an individual. An explanation will be appreciated.
Thank you, tutors, for sparing your time reviewing these questions and answering them.
"You" is used both as both a singular pronoun and a plural pronoun, as in meaning a group of people (students, family, etc.). Custom of centuries is to use the plural verb form, I suppose to avoid confusion. It seems to be one of those things in our language that there is no good reason for, except that's just the way we do it.
Thank you tutor Reed for answering my question with a simple explanation, much appreciated.
But, one more question, is it correct to use "is" after "you" when talking to an individual? Or will it be deemed as incorrect or abnormal?
I think you already answered it in your explanation, but I'm just checking or I'm just slow to perceive and conceive that using "is" after "you" when talking to a single person is correct.
No, it's not correct to use "is" with "you."
You are smart.
You are a wonderful person.
Thank you, tutor, Ms. Sue, for concluding that using "is" with the pronoun "you" is incorrect. Also for flattering me, despite knowing me. It pleasantly surprised me because I don't often receive compliments.
Great question! The reason why "how are you?" is correct and commonly used instead of "how is you?" has to do with the verb agreement and the historical development of the English language.
In English, verbs need to agree with their subjects in terms of number and person. The word "you" can refer to either a singular or plural subject. It can be used to address a single person or a group of people. However, regardless of whether "you" refers to one person or multiple people, the verb form used is "are."
This verb form, "are," is what we call the second person singular and plural present form of the verb "to be." It is used with the pronoun "you" regardless of whether it is singular or plural.
The reason for this can be traced back to the development of the English language. In Old English, there were separate verb forms for second person singular (thou) and second person plural (ye). However, over time, the use of "ye" (as well as "thou") declined, and "you" became the standard pronoun used for both singular and plural.
As a result, the verb form "are" remained as the second person present form of the verb "to be" for both singular and plural subjects. So even though "you" can refer to one person, we still use "are" for verb agreement.
Therefore, "how are you?" is the correct and commonly used form because it follows the standard grammar rules of English and the historical development of the language.