Kate McKinney Maddalena’s article, “‘I need you to say ‘I’”: Why First Person Is Important in College Writing” communicates to its readers that it is okay to use the first person when writing. In modern-day, students learn that in the hope of sounding worldly, we must cut our opinions or views out of our writing. She uses the example of how scientists phrase procedures in their work without mentioning themselves. Although the second sentence sounded more academic, it could have done equally as well if using the first person was allowed. Yet, she highlights that although it may be valuable to utilize, writers must consider context. This means learning decipher when your writing would gain from using the first person and when it won’t.
In my academic past, I remember teachers explicitly telling me the first person was to only write about personal experiences. In my Research and Tech class last year, my professor told the class that we should completely cut out using the first person in our research papers. It was all to avoid sounding biased or having the paper sound objective. Being in college classes now, I am still trying to let go of those habits. Overall, I agree with Maddalena’s arguments. A lot of time, writers find it tricky to work around the usage of “I”. Therefore, I think it is important that all writers read this article for a much deeper understanding of the boundaries and usage of the first person for a calmer writing experience.
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