what pov should a college essay be written in

Point of View in Academic Writing

Point of view is the perspective from which an essay is written. The following chart lists both the personal pronouns and their possessive forms used with these points of view:

When choosing appropriate point of view for academic or formal writing, consider the type and purpose of the assignment.

First Person

First-person point of view is used to write stories/narratives or examples about personal experiences from your own life. Note the following paragraph:

Several people have made a lasting impression on me . I remember one person in particular who was significant to me . Dr. Smith, my high school English teacher, helped my family and me through a difficult time during my junior year. We appreciated her care, kindness, and financial help after the loss of our home in a devastating fire.

Note : Academic writing often requires us to avoid first-person point of view in favor of third-person point of view, which can be more objective and convincing. Often, students will say, “ I think the author is very convincing.” Taking out I makes a stronger statement or claim: “The author is very convincing.”

Second Person

Second-person point of view, which directly addresses the reader, works well for giving advice or explaining how to do something. A process analysis paper would be a good choice for using the second-person point of view, as shown in this paragraph:

In order to prepare microwave popcorn, you will need a microwave and a box of microwave popcorn which you’ve purchased at a grocery store. First of all, you need to remove the popcorn package from the box and take off the plastic wrap. Next, open your microwave and place the package in the center with the proper side up. Then set your microwave for the suggested number of minutes as stated on the box. Finally, when the popcorn is popped, you’re ready for a great treat.

Note : Academic writing generally avoids second-person point of view in favor of third-person point of view. Second person can be too casual for formal writing, and it can also alienate the reader if the reader does not identify with the idea.

Replacing You

In academic writing, sometimes "you" needs to be replaced with nouns or proper nouns to create more formality or to clarify the idea. Here are some examples:

Third Person

Third-person point of view identifies people by proper noun (a given name such as Shema Ahemed) or noun (such as teachers, students, players, or doctors ) and uses the pronouns they, she, and he . Third person also includes the use of one, everyone, and anyone. Most formal, academic writing uses the third person. Note the use of various third-person nouns and pronouns in the following:

The bosses at the company have decided that employees need a day of in-house training. Times have been scheduled for everyone . Several senior employees will be required to make five-minute presentations. One is not eager to speak in front of others since he’s very shy. Another one , however, is anxious to relate their expertise. The variation in routine should provide an interesting day for all people concerned.

Third Person Pronouns: Gender-Fair Use of Language and Singular “They”

In the past, if you wanted to refer to one unnamed person, you used the masculine pronoun: If a person is strong, he will stand up for himself . Today, you should avoid the automatic use of the masculine pronoun because it is considered sexist language.

Also avoid perpetuating gender stereotypes by assigning a particular gendered pronoun: A doctor should listen to his patients. A nurse should listen to her patients . These examples make assumptions that doctors are men and nurses are women, which is a sexist stereotype.

Instead, use the pronouns they or them to refer to a person whose gender is undisclosed or irrelevant to the context of the usage: If a person is strong, they will stand up for themselves when they believe in something.

Encyclopedia for Writers

Composing with ai, using first person in an academic essay: when is it okay.

• CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 by Jenna Pack Sheffield

Related Concepts: Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community ; First-Person Point of View ; Rhetorical Analysis; Rhetorical Stance ; The First Person ; Voice

In order to determine whether or not you can speak or write from the first-person point of view, you need to engage in rhetorical analysis. You need to question whether your audience values and accepts the first person as a legitimate rhetorical stance. Source:Many times, high school students are told not to use first person (“I,” “we,” “my,” “us,” and so forth) in their essays. As a college student, you should realize that this is a rule that can and should be broken—at the right time, of course.

By now, you’ve probably written a personal essay, memoir, or narrative that used first person. After all, how could you write a personal essay about yourself, for instance, without using the dreaded “I” word?

However, academic essays differ from personal essays; they are typically researched and use a formal tone . Because of these differences, when students write an academic essay, they quickly shy away from first person because of what they have been told in high school or because they believe that first person feels too informal for an intellectual, researched text. While first person can definitely be overused in academic essays (which is likely why your teachers tell you not to use it), there are moments in a paper when it is not only appropriate, but also more effective and/or persuasive to use first person. The following are a few instances in which it is appropriate to use first person in an academic essay:

• Including a personal anecdote: You have more than likely been told that you need a strong “hook” to draw your readers in during an introduction. Sometimes, the best hook is a personal anecdote, or a short amusing story about yourself. In this situation, it would seem unnatural not to use first-person pronouns such as “I” and “myself.” Your readers will appreciate the personal touch and will want to keep reading! (For more information about incorporating personal anecdotes into your writing, see “ Employing Narrative in an Essay .”)
• Establishing your credibility ( ethos ): Ethos is a term stemming back to Ancient Greece that essentially means “character” in the sense of trustworthiness or credibility. A writer can establish her ethos by convincing the reader that she is trustworthy source. Oftentimes, the best way to do that is to get personal—tell the reader a little bit about yourself. (For more information about ethos, see “ Ethos .”)For instance, let’s say you are writing an essay arguing that dance is a sport. Using the occasional personal pronoun to let your audience know that you, in fact, are a classically trained dancer—and have the muscles and scars to prove it—goes a long way in establishing your credibility and proving your argument. And this use of first person will not distract or annoy your readers because it is purposeful.
• Clarifying passive constructions : Often, when writers try to avoid using first person in essays, they end up creating confusing, passive sentences . For instance, let’s say I am writing an essay about different word processing technologies, and I want to make the point that I am using Microsoft Word to write this essay. If I tried to avoid first-person pronouns, my sentence might read: “Right now, this essay is being written in Microsoft Word.” While this sentence is not wrong, it is what we call passive—the subject of the sentence is being acted upon because there is no one performing the action. To most people, this sentence sounds better: “Right now, I am writing this essay in Microsoft Word.” Do you see the difference? In this case, using first person makes your writing clearer.
• Stating your position in relation to others: Sometimes, especially in an argumentative essay, it is necessary to state your opinion on the topic . Readers want to know where you stand, and it is sometimes helpful to assert yourself by putting your own opinions into the essay. You can imagine the passive sentences (see above) that might occur if you try to state your argument without using the word “I.” The key here is to use first person sparingly. Use personal pronouns enough to get your point across clearly without inundating your readers with this language.

Now, the above list is certainly not exhaustive. The best thing to do is to use your good judgment, and you can always check with your instructor if you are unsure of his or her perspective on the issue. Ultimately, if you feel that using first person has a purpose or will have a strategic effect on your audience, then it is probably fine to use first-person pronouns. Just be sure not to overuse this language, at the risk of sounding narcissistic, self-centered, or unaware of others’ opinions on a topic.

Recommended Readings:

• A Synthesis of Professor Perspectives on Using First and Third Person in Academic Writing
• Finding the Bunny: How to Make a Personal Connection to Your Writing
• First-Person Point of View

Brevity – Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence – How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Flow – How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity – Inclusive Language

The Elements of Style – The DNA of Powerful Writing

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Point of View in Academic Writing

Writing in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Person from the George Mason University School of Management

Writing from a specific point of view alters the reader’s perception of what you write.  It can be confusing to the reader if you shift the point of view in your writing (meaning starting in the 3rd person, moving to the 2nd person, then switching back to 3rd).  Look at this example of switching points of view:

Increasing one’s [3rd person] workload is taxing on both your [2nd person] physical and mental health. Unless someone [3rd person] is in a physically-intensive profession, your [2nd person] body is wasting away while you [2nd person] are working.  Additionally, diet [3rd person] also suffers as you [2nd person] spend more time at work.  No longer do you [2nd person] have the time to prepare healthy meals at home or even worse, we [1st person] may not have time to eat at all.

After reading this passage, a reader must wonder who is being addressed in the passage.  Is it the reader?  Is it a general audience?  The shifting back and forth confuses the reader.  Thus, it is important to maintain the same point of view in your writing. 

You should use particular points of view in particular situations.  To help you with this, keep these three things in mind:

• Use 1st person to indicate personal experience, evaluation, and/or opinion.
• Use 2nd person to instruct or address the reader.
• Use 3rd person to generalize the experience or situation.

In academic writing, you should write in 3rd person whenever possible.  This way, you avoid shifting points of view and confusing the reader.

Here are some examples of the same passage written in the three different points of view.  Read them to understand the difference in tone and purpose. 

• 1st person, indicating a personal experience I have found increasing my workload is taxing on both my physical and mental health. Unless I am in a physically-intensive profession, my body is wasting away while I work.  Additionally, my diet has also suffered as I have spent more time at work.  No longer do I have the time to prepare healthy meals at home or even worse; I sometimes do not have time to eat at all.
• 2nd person, instructing the reader Increasing your workload is taxing on both your physical and mental health. Unless you are in a physically-intensive profession, your body is wasting away while you are working.  Additionally, your diet also suffers as you spend more time at work.  No longer [do you] have the time to prepare healthy meals at home or even worse, you may not have time to eat at all.
• 3rd person, addressing a general situation Increasing workloads tax both physical and mental health.  Unless a person is in a physically-intensive profession, a body will waste away with inactivity.  Additionally, diet suffers as more time is spent at work as people do not have the time to prepare healthy meals or, even worse, may not have time to eat at all.

Also note the grammatical changes in subjects (“I” vs. “increasing” vs. “increasing workloads”; number (singular vs. plural); and verb tenses (perfect forms in 1st person “have found”; simple be forms in 2nd person “is” and “are”; and simple active forms “tax” in 3rd person).

Writing in the third person creates a more authoritative voice, which is something you want in expository writing.  Use 3rd person point of view as the standard although it is possible to use first person when using personal experience as part of the writing.  It is not conventional to use second person “you” and sentences and ideas that contain “you” should be rewritten from a different point of view.

Avoiding Metadiscourse or When Not to Use “I”

Metadiscourse is when you are self-referential in your writing.  Use of phrases like “I believe” or “I am writing about” or “In the paragraph before where I said” are all referring back to yourself as writer or the act of writing the essay.  These bits of metadiscourse tend to be distracting, pulling the reader’s attention from the ideas being discussed to focus instead on the writer and his or her process of writing.  Though it is true that every piece of writing is authored and perhaps avoiding any reference to the writer is merely presents an illusion of objectivity, it is nevertheless conventional to avoid such discourse markers.  Ideas expressed in your essays are implicitly yours, so you do no need to say “I believe”, “I think”, or “In my opinion.”  These are phrases we like to throw into our speech and writing to qualify our ideas, so we don’t sound too forceful or authoritative.  However, in your academic writing, you are the expert and you should sound like one.  Check out the two examples below to see what a difference metadiscourse makes:

With Metadiscourse Markers A. There are many definitions of the word grassroot and I tried to find where the root of the word started.  I found it started in the United States in 1912 by the Progressive Party.  One other definition that I discovered on the Internet describes grassroots as designing political processes where the decision making authority is shifted to the organization’s lowest levels rather than being isolated at the top.  Grassroots movements are important because I think that democratic power is best exercised when it is vested in the local community rather than in isolated individuals.

Without Metadiscourse Markers B. There are many definitions of the word grassroot and where the root of the word started.  It started in the United States in 1912 by the Progressive Party.  One other definition on the Internet describes grassroots as designing political processes where the decision making authority is shifted to the organization’s lowest levels rather than being isolated at the top.  Grassroots movements are important because democratic power is best exercised when it is vested in the local community rather than in isolated individuals.

As you can see, version B focuses the reader on the subject at hand rather than on the experience of writing it.  The elimination of metadiscourse such as “I tried to find” or “I found” or “I discovered/think” makes the writing more smooth and factual rather than based on opinion, a factor that leads to greater credibility as a writer.

Avoiding and Replacing Second Person “You”

Read the following paragraph and rewrite it in order to eliminate the use of 2nd person “you.” You may use choose to substitute another personal pronoun, an indefinite pronoun, or simply address the general situation.  Make sure that your indefinite pronouns agree with their antecedents.

Another example of commitment outside of marriage is one that is made when you make a financial decision to obligate yourself to a signed contract.  An example of this would be purchasing a new car.  Once you have decided to on the car you want, you have to come to an agreement on the terms.  You then sign a contract that you are expected to fulfill.  If you do not adhere to this formal commitment, you will have to face getting the car repossessed by the company whom you purchased the car from.

How did you do it?

Some of you probably decided to use another personal noun like “he” or “she”, which is a 3rd person point of view. For example, sentence one would say, “ Another example of commitment outside of marriage is one that is made when he or she makes a financial obligation.” Some of you might have substituted a more specific word like “a person” or “ people” or “ a couple,” which is the best thing to do since it now specifies who you really mean when you use the generic “you.”

If you used another personal pronoun, like he or she, that is fine, but you have to clarify who is the “he” or “she”? Pronouns are words that take the place of a person or thing. Pronouns must take an antecedent (the person or thing it stands for) and sometimes you don’t want to specify someone in particular. That’s usually why we end up using the word “you” because we want to imply a general person somewhere out there rather than Stan or Lucy or someone specific. So, another solution is to use an indefinite pronoun.

Indefinite Pronouns

For more practice, go to: http://www.towson.edu/ows/modulepaa.htm

So your paragraph could do something like this:

Another example of commitment outside of marriage is one that is made when someone makes a financial decision to obligate him or herself to a signed contract.  An example of this would be purchasing a new car.  Once a person have decided on the car he or she wants, he or she has to come to an agreement on the terms.

Now you might find this awkward because you have to keep saying “he or she” and “him and her” which can get unwieldy. Instead, you can make the subject or indefinite pronoun plural:

  The couple then sign a contract that they are expected to fulfill.  If they do not adhere to this formal commitment, they will have to face getting the car repossessed by the company whom they purchased the car from.

Don’t forget that when you change the subject and it changes from singular to plural or vice versa, then the verb also needs to change form!

Need more practice? Check out the links provided, which contain a review of not only indefinite pronouns but pronouns in general as well as many helpful exercises.

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Scholarly Voice: Point of View

Personal pronouns are used to indicate point of view in most types of writing. Here are some common points of view:

• A paper using first-person point of view uses pronouns such as "I," "me," "we," and "us."
• A paper using second-person point of view uses the pronoun "you."
• A paper using third-person point of view uses pronouns such as "he," "she," "it," "they," "him," "her," "his," and "them."

In scholarly writing, first-person and third-person point of view are common, but second-person point of view is not. Read more about appropriate points of view on the following pages:

• First-Person Point of View
• Second-Person Point of View

Pronouns Video

• APA Formatting & Style: Pronouns (video transcript)

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Writing Help

Essay writing: first-person and third-person points of view, introduction.

People approach essay writing in so many different ways. Some spend a long time worrying about how to set about writing an informative piece, which will educate, or even entertain, the readers. But it is not just the content that's the issue; it is also the way the content is - or ought to be - written. More may have asked the question: what should I use, the first-person point of view (POV) or the third-person?

Choosing between the two has confused more than a few essay-writing people. Sure, it can be easy to fill the piece up with healthy chunks of information and content, but it takes a deeper understanding of both points of view to be able to avoid slipping in and out one or the other - or at least realize it when it happens. Sure, a Jekyll and Hyde way of writing may be clever, but it can be very confusing in non-fiction forms, like the essay.

Why is all this important?

Continually swapping from the first-person to the third-person POV may leave the reader confused. Who exactly is talking here? Why does one part of the essay sound so detached and unaffected, while the next suddenly appears to be intimate and personal?

Indeed, making the mistake of using both points of view - without realizing it - leaves readers with the impression of the essay being haphazardly written.

Using first-person: advantages and disadvantages

The use of the first-person narration in an essay means that the author is writing exclusively from his or her point of view - no one else's. The story or the information will thus be told from the perspective of "I," and "We," with words like "me," "us," "my," "mine," "our," and "ours" often found throughout the essay.

Example: "I first heard about this coastal island two years ago, when the newspapers reported the worst oil spill in recent history. To me, the story had the impact of a footnote - evidence of my urban snobbishness. Luckily, the mess of that has since been cleaned up; its last ugly ripple has ebbed."

You will see from the above example that the writer, while not exactly talking about himself or herself, uses the first-person point of view to share information about a certain coastal island, and a certain oil spill. The decision to do so enables the essay to have a more personal, subjective, and even intimate tone of voice; it also allows the author to refer to events, experiences, and people while giving (or withholding) information as he or she pleases.

The first-person view also provides an opportunity to convey the viewpoint character or author's personal thoughts, emotions, opinion, feelings, judgments, understandings, and other internal information (or information that only the author possesses) - as in "the story had the impact of a footnote". This then allows readers to be part of the narrator's world and identify with the viewpoint character.

This is why the first-person point of view is a natural choice for memoirs, autobiographical pieces, personal experience essays, and other forms of non-fiction in which the author serves also as a character in the story.

The first-person POV does have certain limitations. First and most obvious is the fact that the author is limited to a single point of view, which can be narrow, restrictive, and awkward. Less careful or inexperienced writers using first-person may also fall to the temptation of making themselves the focal subject - even the sole subject - of the essay, even in cases that demand focus and information on other subjects, characters, or events.

Using third-person: advantages and disadvantages

The third-person point of view, meanwhile, is another flexible narrative device used in essays and other forms of non-fiction wherein the author is not a character within the story, serving only as an unspecified, uninvolved, and unnamed narrator conveying information throughout the essay. In third-person writing, people and characters are referred to as "he," "she," "it," and "they"; "I" and "we" are never used (unless, of course, in a direct quote).

Example: "Local residents of the coastal island province suffered an ecological disaster in 2006, in the form of an oil spill that was reported by national newspapers to be worst in the country's history. Cleaning up took two years, after which they were finally able to go back to advertising their island's beach sands as 'pure' and its soil, 'fertile.'"

Obviously, the use of the third-person point of view here makes the essay sound more factual - and not just a personal collection of the author's own ideas, opinions, and thoughts. It also lends the piece a more professional and less casual tone. Moreover, writing in third-person can help establish the greatest possible distance between reader and author - and the kind of distance necessary to present the essay's rhetorical situations.

The essay being non-fiction, it is important to keep in mind that the primary purpose of the form is to convey information about a particular subject to the reader. The reader has the right to believe that the essay is factually correct, or is at least given context by factual events, people, and places.

The third-person point of view is more common in reports, research papers, critiques, biography, history, and traditional journalistic essays. This again relates to the fact that the author can, with the third-person POV, create a formal distance, a kind of objectivity, appropriate in putting up arguments or presenting a case.

13 Academic Writing: Point of View

Academic writing: point of view.

If you’re sitting down to write an analytical or research essay (common in the humanities), use the third-person point of view: Achebe argues … or Carter describes her experiences as…

Scientists (including social scientists) tend to use third-person point of view as well, because they depend largely on quantitative research to present their findings or support their opinions: The results indicated…

Occasionally, social scientists and writers in the humanities will use first person to discuss their own experiences while doing research or if writing part of a personal narrative as evidence: After spending a year living with the Upendi, I came to the conclusion that… or Every Christmas we went to the same place, as if our memories could be rekindled…

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