The First, Second, and Third Person all convey different points of view. Your job as the writer is to decide which person, or point of view, is most appropriate.
The First Person features the pronouns I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, and ours. In this point of view, writers speak about themselves.
The First Person is often used when writing personal experiences, narratives, or reflective essays.
The Second Person features the pronouns you, your, and yours. In this point of view, writers speak to you as the reader.
Second Person: “You should consider taking another science class.”
The Second Person is often used to create a personal rapport with the reader.
The Third Person utilizes nouns rather than pronouns. In this point of view, writers refer to someone or something else.
Third Person: “The governor is speaking with citizens at the town hall.”
Instead of using pronouns, the specific actors, governor and citizens, are named.
Unless directed to use the First or Second Person, use the Third Person in academic writing to maintain a formal tone. The First Person is often seen as too conversational for formal essays. The Second Person is confusing since “you” could refer to one particular reader or a universal “you” referring to people in general.
To rewrite the First and Second Person into the Third Person, remove pronouns and feature specific nouns instead. For example:
First Person: “I think fines for speeding on residential streets should be higher.”
To revise this sentence, simply remove “I think.”
Third Person: Fines for speeding on residential streets should be higher.
First Person: “We should ban gasoline-powered vehicles within five years.”
To revise this sentence, be specific when indicating who “we” refers to.
Third Person: The United States government should ban gasoline-powered vehicles within five years.
Second Person: “To become more active in your community, you should look into volunteer opportunities.”
To revise this sentence, omit or replace “your” and “you.”
Third Person: To become more active in the community, look into volunteer opportunities. −OR− To become more active in the community, one should look into volunteer opportunities. −OR− To become more active in the community, citizens should look into volunteer opportunities. (This final revision is the most specific replacement for “you” and, therefore, the most preferable.)
When writing or revising, look for the sentences where you use the First and Second Person pronouns and ask yourself: Who do I really mean when I say “we” or “you”? Replace these words with nouns that are more specific so your reader will not be left wondering about your meaning.
Source consulted: Upswing Writing Lab
Guide created by: C. Jones 4/06/2021
Revised by: B. McCoid 1/19/2024
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