Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and I’ve been in Tennessee recently. Which got me thinking: what’s the difference between y’all and all y’all? And yes, both of these terms are perfectly acceptable in casual speech. And very fun to use.
The conclusion I came to, guided by native Tennesseans, is that y’all refers to one group of multiple people—say one family. All y’all refers to multiple groups of multiple people, say several families or many different people from different places. So y’all are driving together to the airport, but all y’all are getting aboard that plane.
No doubt it goes without saying, but “y’all” is a term for spoken English. When you write it down, it somehow loses its charm.
That’s your grammar minute! Visit thegrammarminute.com for more tips and tricks.