Eye for an “I”

Below are two sentences. Which of the following two sentences sound better?

1. I assert that there is conflicting research about the group’s historical origins.
2. There is conflicting research about the group’s historical origins. 

The answer is simple. 

Who cares? 

I Need Answers

For many people, my blunt answer is not enough. There has to be a “better” sentence. Usually, that “better” sentence is the second one. Why is that?

Formal academic writing argues that the first sentence is weak, because of the use of the personal pronoun “I”. The second sentence is strong, objective and focused – or so we have been taught. 

Even as official style guides are dispelling the myth around it, “I” is a word that is demonized in many K-12 education systems. Some college professors will even chastise you for using it. Since when did being personal become less meaningful?

Because I Said So

Early in those elementary school years, when many bright pupils were learning how to write, it was perfectly okay to use a simple “I” sentence (usually accompanied with an abstract of scribbles that kids would claim to symbolize a real object/event/idea).

I am happy. I am sad. I am eating a corn dog.

During the latter half of elementary school, formal writing emerged. Gone were the days of “I”. If you wanted to sound “strong” in your writing, like you were taking a stance on some issue or point, you had to learn to write without it. It was scary, but it was necessary. Learning how to write without relying on “I” is an easy way to make sure that you sound objective and formal, making sure that you maintain that tone throughout your writing.

According to literacy scholar Dr. Kimberly N. Parker in her essay “Never Use ‘I’”, young writers – often chastised by educators – reluctantly discover different ways of finding their unique writing style and voice without the “I”. This pushes them to experiment – albeit with resentment – with their writing voice and style. When done right, this can help them build the writing experience needed to know how and when they should use their voice.

The key phrasing here is “when done right”. Writing without “I” is a great writing technique when it is seen as just that – another writing technique. Otherwise, it can be a limiting hell for some students. Somewhere in academia, the highest standards of academic writing became one where “I”s are obsolete. “I” became synonymous with “lowly” and “common”. It is no wonder why freshman and sophomore college students go into shock when they are told that they can use “I” again. College Board and Common Core made the pronoun cower within the deep recesses of their vocabulary.

How Do I…?

Let me save you the trouble of getting sucked into another writing studies scholar’s existential debate. Just do it. Just use “I”. It does not hurt. It does not bite. You will be fine.

English scholar Kate McKinney Maddalena’s “I Need You to Say ‘I’” highlights the myriad of ways “I” can be used in writing. Indeed, “I” can be used for personal stories. It is also used for objectivity, clarification and rhetoric. In fact, various scholars across academic and professional disciplines use “I”. It is almost as if adults can define and redefine the status quo.

If you are still doubtful, take a look at the Digital Archive of Literacy Narratives (DALN). Since 2007, the database offers a collection of narratives written by people of all ages, covering their unique experiences around their process of learning a specific competency. This includes a person’s journey with reading, but also can involve other topics, like how this writer’s love for rappers MC Lyte and Da Brat help them find their writing voice. In any of the works found in the archive, there is a common theme of critical insight and reflection. The writings balance being personal and sophisticated.

When deciding when to use “I”, trust what I call your writer’s intuition. This is that fifth sense when it comes to writing. It is a culmination of all of your writing experiences and knowledge that give you a sense of how you should proceed in your writing.

Ask yourself questions to stimulate an answer from your intuition. These questions can include:

• Who is my audience?
• Have I done this for similar audiences in the past? What was the feedback?
• Will this detract or enhance what I am trying to express?

Just keep writing. Experiment with and without “I”. Ask for feedback whenever you write something. The more quality feedback you receive, the better your writer’s intuition will become.

As a writer, you have the power to use the words you know to transform them into profound ideas. The only “I” you should worry about is the existential “I”, or who you are as a writer.