Which statement best describes the shift in English pronouns from Old to Modern English?

• A. Old English used 'thou' for singular informal; 'you' was formal or plural; Over time 'you' became standard; 'thou' survived in limited contexts.
• B. 'Thou' was always formal
• C. 'You' used for singular informal only
• D. 'Thou' replaced 'you' in all contexts

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how social use shapes pronouns over time. In Old English, thou was the singular informal address, while you served as the formal or plural form. As English moved into Early Modern and Modern periods, you generalized across singular and plural and across formal and informal contexts, while thou faded to limited, often intimate or archaic uses. That shift is exactly captured by the statement: the informal singular thou diminished and you became the standard form for most situations, with thou surviving only in specific contexts like poetry, religious language, or certain dialects. The other options misstate the history—for example, thou was not always formal, you was not used only for singular informal, and thou did not replace you in all contexts.