used as the object of a verb or preposition when the subject is “you,” referring to the same person
Please make yourself at home while I finish cooking.
You should wrap yourself in a warm blanket if you feel cold.
✦ Old English ‘þe selfne’, later influenced by ‘self’. The form shifted after Middle English when second-person “thou” forms changed to “you.”
used after “you” for emphasis, showing that the person spoken to and no one else is involved
You yourself said it was a great idea.
Why don’t you check the numbers yourself before submitting the report?
✦ Same historical origin as the reflexive sense; the emphatic use developed in Early Modern English to reinforce identity in spoken and written language.
used to talk to the person or people who are listening or being written to
You look happy today!
Can I help you with those bags?
used to talk about people in general, including the speaker, instead of saying "one"
When you mix red and blue, you get purple.
If you stay up too late, you feel tired the next day.
to calm down and control your thoughts or emotions so you can act effectively
She took a deep breath to collect herself before going on stage.
Give me a moment to collect my thoughts.
used to refer to something that belongs to the person or people you are talking or writing to
Is this blue backpack yours or does it belong to someone else?
I baked two pies—one is yours and the other is mine.
✦ Old English "ġe-ūres", possessive of "ġē" (you), developing into Middle English "yours".
used as a polite formula for ending a formal letter before the writer signs their name
Thank you for your time and consideration. Yours, Jonathan.
If you have any questions, please let me know. Yours, Dr. Smith.
✦ Extension of the possessive pronoun used since the 18th century as a shortened form of longer closings like "I remain your obedient servant".
