Both pronouns and points of view are expressed in first person, second person, and third person. First-person pronouns include I, me, my, mine, we, our, and us, and the first-person point of view expresses the personal point of view of the speaker or author (I will bring the book). Second-person pronouns include you, your, and yours, and material expressed in the second-person point of view directly addresses the listener or reader (You will bring the book). Third-person pronouns include he, she, him, her, his, hers, they, them, their, and theirs. In the third-person point of view material is expressed from the point of view of a detached writer or other characters (They will bring the book). Check with your instructor or company to find out which person you should use. If you're in doubt, use third person.

Just Leave Me Out of It! Shifts in Person

One of the most common problems in writing comes with a shift in person. The writer begins in either first or third person and then — without reason — shifts to second person. Take, for example, this paragraph:

What's wrong with that paragraph? The writer begins in the first person (telling about himself or herself by using the pronoun I) and then shifts to second person. The constant use of you sounds as if the writer is preaching directly to readers. That writer doesn't know the readers and doesn't know if he or she can be easily embarrassed by others, and so on. Except for the beginning sentence, the entire paragraph should be rewritten and put into first person. Here is one way of doing that:

Even in a casual atmosphere, I can be embarrassed by someone else, and this causes me to become tense. For instance, somebody I know can embarrass me at a party or in a class. It's so simple for a stranger to embarrass me.

Repeat three times: Consistency is the key. Consistency is the key. Consistency is the key. If you begin in third person (which is the most common way of writing), stay in third person. If you begin in first person (the second most common way of writing), stay in first person. If you begin in second person, stay in second person. Consistency is the key.

(You did notice that the preceding paragraph is written in second person, didn't you? Actually, the first sentences are in second person. They're written in what's called a “you understood” form: even though the word you isn't included in the sentences, it's implied and readers understand that you is the subject of each sentence.)

May I Talk to You? Using the Second Person

For various reasons, most instructors usually disapprove of second person in formal writing. Is using second person ever acceptable? It is when you need an informal tone. Read something written in second person (remember, that means using you and your), and you'll find a more conversational tone than if it had been written in first or third person. Use second person when you want your words to come across in a casual way. Take a look at this paragraph:

You can easily read that paragraph. It's talking directly to you, telling you what to do in your cooking. But look at the same paragraph written in third person:

Now, that's pretty boring and stilted, isn't it? The directions are far better if you write them in the second person.

Another time that second-person writing is used with frequency is in advertising. Consider this sign:

That's more inviting than if it were written in the third person:

The friendly folks at Abbotts' probably wouldn't have much business with a sign like that, would they?