{"id":7418,"date":"2020-06-25T15:52:54","date_gmt":"2020-06-25T19:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/english\/?p=7418"},"modified":"2020-09-08T12:50:02","modified_gmt":"2020-09-08T16:50:02","slug":"we-are-many","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/english\/we-are-many\/","title":{"rendered":"We Are Many"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n

In the past few months, you have probably heard the phrase, \u201cWe\u2019re all in this together.\u201d I even wrote a blog<\/a> about it. But did you know that the English word \u201cwe\u201d is a rather unusual word in the linguistic world? This is because English is one of the few languages that does not have separate words for we<\/em> (that includes the listener) and we<\/em> (that excludes the listener). To put it another way, \u201cwe\u201d can be used in multiple ways in English.<\/p>\n

Clusivity<\/strong> is a linguistic term for making the distinction between the inclusive we<\/em> and the exclusive we<\/em>. In many other languages, grammatical distinctions of we<\/em> are made clear by using different words depending on context. Unless you understand the subtle distinctions with the word in English, however, you can get confused. Let\u2019s take a look at how we<\/em> is used in English.<\/p>\n

Inclusive We<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If I say, \u201cYou have a responsibility to wear masks when out in public. We\u2019re all in this together,\u201d I am using the inclusive we<\/em><\/strong>. This is called group cohesion<\/strong>, in which different subjects and pronouns are linked together. The inclusive we<\/em> specifically includes the person being addressed, along with the speaker. It means \u201cYou and I, and possibly others.\u201d<\/p>\n

In compositions such as essays and speeches, the inclusive we is commonly used as a rhetorical device<\/strong>. That is, it is used as a method of persuasion or to evoke an emotional response. \u201cYou saw that video. We can\u2019t allow that kind of behavior to go unpunished, can we?\u201d<\/p>\n

Exclusive We<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Grammatically, the exclusive we<\/em><\/strong> refers only to the speaker or writer and others, but not to the person addressed. If someone invites you to a party, but you remember that you have plans to go see a concert with your spouse, you may respond with, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, but we have plans for tonight.\u201d The we<\/em> refers to you and your spouse, explicitly leaving out the person who invited you. There\u2019s a famous put-down, commonly associated with theater auditions, \u201cDon\u2019t call us, we\u2019ll call you.\u201d That\u2019s a perfect example of using the exclusive we<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Then there are some lesser-used examples of the word we which nevertheless bear mentioning.<\/p>\n