*Was you surprised when you heard about it?
I heard 'was' used with 'you' on a number of occasions (American English) and yes I was surprised. I realise it's incorrent but hearing it more and more often I'm wondering how disgraceful it sounds in an informal situation?
***** NOT A TEACHER *****
(1) You have asked an excellent question.
(2) I found the answer in
A Grammar of the English Language, written by the one and
only Professor George O. Curme.
(3) "In older English, ...
was ... was sometimes used for both singular and plural,
and for all persons."
(4) "
Was was most frequently employed for
were with the subject
you where the
reference was to only one individual."
(a) Professor Curme cities this example: "Pray, Sir, how
was you cured of your love?"
(5) Here in the United States, we had a scholar in the 19th century named Noah
Webster (the same person who compiled a famous dictionary). The great professor
quotes Mr. Webster as writing:
"The compilers of grammars condemn the use of
was with
you -- but in vain."
(a) (My words) Mr. Webster was wrong. It was not in vain. Books and teachers
have succeeded in stopping this use among educated people. Almost no one
says "You was ...." anymore in the United States. The only ones who do so are
people who have not had a good education or continue to speak the kind of English
that was passed down to them through their families.
P.S. It might astonish you to know that in the 19th century "He
don't ...." was
common among all classes -- until teachers (bless them!) stopped that practice
by constantly criticizing it.
