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Help with Language~! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Kukudas
- Start date
serene12
New Member
hey well this iz a late post but newayz!!
Writing in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Person
Here are some tips to help you determine when it is more appropriate to use 1st person (I/we), 2nd person (you),
or 3rd person (he/she/it/they) in your writing.
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.
A good idea is to 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.
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).
• 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.
hope this helps
Writing in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Person
Here are some tips to help you determine when it is more appropriate to use 1st person (I/we), 2nd person (you),
or 3rd person (he/she/it/they) in your writing.
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.
A good idea is to 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.
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).
• 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.
hope this helps