Plural Markers

Overview

In earlier forms of English, Bibles such as the King James Version used words like ye, thee, thou, and you to distinguish singular and plural address. In modern English there is no easy way to make this distinction except for something like "you all." The UPDV uses a different approach to preserve this information.

The Plus Sign Convention

Plus signs (⁺) are used in superscripts next to words such as "you" and "your" when they refer to a group of two or more. This is done to improve accuracy, allowing the reader to see at a glance whether the original text addresses an individual or a group.

Verbs and Implied Subjects

In some cases, the word "you" or "your" is not present in certain verses for smoother English style. This was mostly done in imperative (command) sentences. If the word "you" was plural and the context is not clear, the plus sign moves to the verb. For example, a command such as "Do you⁺ not seek these things" becomes "Do⁺ not seek these things."

In such cases, other plural verbs in the same verse may be marked plural as needed to avoid ambiguity. In situations other than these, verbs are not generally marked as to whether they refer to a singular or plural subject.