During the transition to Early Modern English, what change occurred in pronoun usage?

• A. Thou remained as the dominant singular pronoun.
• B. The singular thou increasingly gave way to you in most contexts.
• C. They replaced you in all contexts.
• D. It replaced he/she as neuter pronoun.

Answer: (B)

The change being tested is how the second-person pronoun system moved from using informal singular "thou" to using "you" as the default in most contexts. In Early Modern English, "you" started as a plural polite form but began to be used for singular address as a sign of respect or neutrality. Over time, speakers adopted "you" in both singular and plural situations, and "thou" faded from everyday use except in certain dialects, religious or intimate contexts. This shift was helped along by social etiquette, the push for standardization in print and education, and literary influence from writers of the period. So, the singular form that used to be "thou" gradually gave way to "you" in most contexts.