Assignment Consider the Grammar Lab content in the attached document about using pronouns in academic writing, and write 2 - 3 paragraphs in which you discuss your experience. Consider the questions b

Personal Pronouns & Academic Writing

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If you texted a good friend to invite them to a weekend barbeque, you wouldn’t write, Dear Friend, The Smiths cordially invite you to a barbeque on Saturday, July 20, at 2 PM sharp. The hosts will provide food and beverages. Casual attire is required. RSVP no later than when you get the idea. The audience, purpose, and form do not seem appropriate for this formal language, right?

In school, many assignments require formal academic writing, much like the writing in the example text. Academic writing is generally more formal, but the many variables produced should dictate how formal it needs to be. Writing a business report will not be the same as writing a lab report or a legal brief. A personal autobiography will have specific writing characteristics that differ from those in a police report. The “rules” of usage vary depending on the academic discipline (e.g., business, humanities, sciences, and social sciences) and the course within the discipline, exact assignment, and professor, which means you must produce writing for vastly different audiences and purposes. Writing is not a situation where one set of "rules” fits all contexts.

First Person in Academic Writing

One common “rule” of “academic” writing that usually gets applied across disciplines is not to use the first person (or any personal pronoun for that matter). To many, the problem with first-person pronouns (I, we, us, our, me, my) is they are not formal enough and do not create enough separation between the author and the topic. Many educators would have you believe that what you don’t want in “academic” writing is any sense of a real person behind the prose. Academic writing must be objective and free of any bias they raise. However, doesn’t an argumentative essay—even an argumentative research essay--present the writer’s viewpoint on a topic? How is that objective or bias-free? Isn’t an essay expressing the writer’s view on a topic? If so, why can’t a first person be used? Shouldn't the writer at least have a choice?

In some assignments, not using the first person would be impossible. For example, an academic paper discussing the writer’s core values must use the first person as any reflective paper. Even in a formal research paper, opportunities exist where a writer may want to use the first person, such as incorporating personal experience or establishing the relationship between the writer and the subject. The American Psychological Association (APA, 2023) offers this guidance: “Use first-person pronouns in APA Style to describe your work as well as your reactions” (para. 1). While writing situations exist that require greater objectivity and formality, the reality is the notion that first person pronouns should not be used in academic writing is more out of common practice than any rule. Somewhere along the line, the idea that “I,” “we,” “us,” and “our” sully academic writing came into favor, and it’s been an accepted standard convention ever since.

First Person & Choice

The real danger of using first-person pronouns is they often interfere with the authority of what the writer is trying to convey, especially when overused. Consider the following statements.

1. “I think the number of mass shootings in the United States is alarming.”

2. “The number of mass shootings in the United States is alarming.”

While both sentences express the same idea, the second does so more directly and uses fewer words. In an essay arguing a position on an issue, it’s understood it’s the writer’s position, so the first-person pronoun is not needed. If several statements like “I think” are made nearby, then the phrasing calls attention to itself rather than the ideas. This is not to say writing “I think” is incorrect, but it is to say such a choice may be unnecessary, and writers need to consider the choices they make carefully.

First Person Plural Pronouns

The pronouns we, us, and our also cause problems, not so much because it’s wrong to use them in academic writing, but because choosing such usage can confuse. In an argumentative paper about the right to breastfeed in public spaces meant for a general audience, a female student wrote,

“We have every right to breastfeed our babies on park benches, at youth sports events, and in restaurants.”

The problem with “We” and “our” in this sentence is that it assumes readers will share an experience with the writer. However, the sentence appeals directly to women (not all women) and forgets about other readers. A male or transgender reader may read the sentence and think, “Me?” In this case, the personal pronouns do not strengthen the writer’s argument. The writer could have avoided the confusion entirely by using a more specific word or phrase for “we” and “us,” such as “Parents who choose to breastfeed their babies.”

Today's expectation is for language to be inclusive of all people; to this end, writers need to be sensitive to their pronouns, not unintentionally exclude some groups from the discussion. However, using a first-person plural pronoun is the most logical in some writing situations. If you are working on a group project, for example, and among other things, discussing the findings of the group, it seems such pronouns as “we,” “us,” and “our” make the most sense as it would be awkward to discuss the findings of a group that you belong to in the third person. Our research led to some surprising discoveries, whereas The group’s research led to some surprising discoveries.

In a scholarly article, rhetorician Peter Elbow (1999) wrote, “How can we possibly pull this off—especially in a one-semester course for first-year students?” (p. 361). Not only does Elbow use a first-person plural pronoun, but he also addresses his readers directly, another common academic writing taboo. Sometimes, the best choice is one that goes against standard conventions. When you write, you need to be aware of the implications of your language choices so that your ideas are as precise and straightforward as possible. Recognizing the impact of specific pronouns can help you make the best decisions.

Singular & Plural Issues

Another awkward usage instance of the pronoun “we” is in a situation where the writer–a singular entity–refers to themselves in the plural, as in this example:

1. We will discuss the merits of a green burial given an ever-increasing human population and less and less earth.

2. Why would the author use “We” in this sentence if only one author would do the discussion? As a result of this use of “we,” the sentence lacks clarity and may leave readers scratching their heads.

The Editorial We

Similarly, sometimes the writer uses “we” in a manner that makes the sentence read as if they are speaking for others, as in this sentence:

“We have not always been such poor stewards of our planet.”

This sentence illustrates what’s called Editorial We and is a common practice in newspapers and other media where the writer acts as a spokesperson for an organization or group. The problem arises when such usage finds its way into academic writing, where the intention is less clear.

You and Your

The use of the second person pronouns “you” and “your” is perhaps more complicated than other pronoun use, and you may recall being taught never to use the second person in academic writing (frequently writing “rules” are presented as absolutes as if no wiggle room exists). “You” and “your” address readers directly and can be off-putting to some readers, especially in a highly formal writing context. A quick Google search for “using the second person in academic writing” will yield a list of results warning against using the second person. One web page even proclaimed, “It is strictly prohibited to use the second-person pronoun “you” to address the audience in any form of academic writing” (Nicolas, 2022, Use of Second Person section, para. 1).

However, despite the dictates of appropriate usage, some published scholarly work deviates from the standard convention as this excerpt from Knickerbocker (2015) illustrates [bolded text not in original]: Is there a predominant phobia toward the colonial African Other? You use voodoo. Is there panic concerning the spread of AIDS or the possession by terrorists of bioweapons? One creates a virus. Are people suspicious of multinational corporations or their government? There you have the culprits who developed the disease. (p. 72). In the excerpt, Knickerbocker uses the second person twice. In addition, the rhetorical questions throughout are posed to the reader almost like a direct address and reinforced by Knickerbocker’s use of a second person.

What’s a Writer to Do?

While guidelines are always helpful and established conventions exist, this is not to say that in some writing situations, the writer—you—may choose to use the second person in formal writing. You must evaluate the writing situation, consider your options, and then decide to best suit your writing goals.