Using the first person “I”, is very common when writing essays and narratives. The author discusses the common misconception that “I” has no place in formal writing. She also discusses the many theoretical and rhetorical ways in which first person, can improve written argument. Then, the author lists some hypothetical writing tasks where “I” might work and warn against some where it won’t. Using first-person should be considered when writing a personal narrative or connecting a text to personal experience. From personal experience with writing over the years that I have been in school, I was always told to never use “I” statements because it takes away from the subject of what is talked about. Also it does not sound formal when using “I”, especially when first-person is over used. Young children tend to over use first-person. As I got older and furthered my writing, I learned how to use different techniques to describe what I am talking about. Instead of using “In my opinion” or “I think”, the writing piece would flow better if I said “The article made me realize” or “Due to the author’s viewpoint”. It sounds more generalized and less juvenile.
“In college, you should start using “first- person” pronouns in your formal academic writing, where appropriate”. I agree with the author that using “I” is frowned upon due to the fact that it is very subjective. It takes away from the paper being objective.
A few examples of when “I” statements should NEVER be used:
- Scientific
- research
- summaries
Fun Fact: Many scholarly writers use first-person to make a claim.
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