A contraction of 'you all,' the pronoun 'y'all' has long been used as a plural version of 'you' in the...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
A contraction of 'you all,' the pronoun 'y'all' has long been used as a plural version of 'you' in the South and in Black communities around the US. In recent decades, most other English-speaking communities in the US have begun to use 'y'all.' What explains its rise in popularity? Many varieties of English have no pronoun that specifically addresses more than one person and instead must use 'you' to address both one person and more than one. But 'y'all' always refers to two or more people. As a result, it conveys the speaker's meaning more precisely than 'you' can.
Which question does the text most directly attempt to answer?
How many other plural versions of the pronoun 'you' are there in English, besides 'y'all'?
Why has the pronoun 'y'all' become more widely used in the US?
When was the first recorded use of the pronoun 'y'all' in the English language?
Is 'y'all' commonly used in English-speaking regions of the world besides the US?
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "A contraction of 'you all,' the pronoun 'y'all' has long been used as a plural version of 'you' in the South and in Black communities around the US." |
|
| "In recent decades, most other English-speaking communities in the US have begun to use 'y'all.'" |
|
| "What explains its rise in popularity?" |
|
| "Many varieties of English have no pronoun that specifically addresses more than one person and instead must use 'you' to address both one person and more than one." |
|
| "But 'y'all' always refers to two or more people." |
|
| "As a result, it conveys the speaker's meaning more precisely than 'you' can." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The pronoun "y'all" has become popular across the US because it solves the problem of "you" being ambiguous - y'all always clearly refers to multiple people.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes y'all's traditional regional use, notes its recent spread, then poses the central question of why this happened. It answers by explaining that English lacks a clear plural "you," while y'all always indicates multiple people, making communication more precise.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? Which question does the text most directly attempt to answer?
What type of answer do we need? We need to identify the central question that the passage is organized around answering.
Any limiting keywords? "most directly" tells us we want the primary question, not a side question the passage might touch on.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage follows a clear pattern: it gives background on y'all, mentions its recent spread to new communities, then directly asks "What explains its rise in popularity?" and spends the rest of the passage answering this question
- The right answer should reflect this central organizing question about why y'all became more popular or widespread
How many other plural versions of the pronoun 'you' are there in English, besides 'y'all'?
- Asks about how many other plural "you" pronouns exist in English
- The passage never discusses or attempts to count other plural pronouns
Why has the pronoun 'y'all' become more widely used in the US?
- Asks why "y'all" has become more widely used in the US
- This directly matches the question "What explains its rise in popularity?" that the passage explicitly poses and then answers
When was the first recorded use of the pronoun 'y'all' in the English language?
- Asks about the first recorded historical use of "y'all"
- The passage mentions y'all has been used "long" in certain communities but never discusses its origins or first use
Is 'y'all' commonly used in English-speaking regions of the world besides the US?
- Asks whether "y'all" is used outside the US
- The passage focuses specifically on communities within the US and never mentions other countries