Public Services and Procurement Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Important notice

Writing Tips has been archived and won’t be updated before it is permanently deleted.

For the most up-to-date content, please consult Writing Tips Plus, which combines content from Writing Tips and The Canadian Style. And don’t forget to update your bookmarks!

Search Canada.ca
To begin your search, go to the alphabetical index below and click on the first letter of the word you are searching for.

one, I, you

The impersonal pronoun one is more frequent in British than in North American English, which relies more on you, he, she or they.

  • How do you (not does one) get from Charlottetown to Moncton?

The use of one instead of the first–person pronoun I is rare in North America and often sounds very formal or even pompous.

  • I (not One) did not wish to express too much pride in my (not one’s) achievements.