Conventions of Composition Rule 206

Rule: In general, use the third person. Because your name already appears at the top of the essay, you never need to say, “I think” or “In my opinion” in your text. The word you in your writing refers to your reader. Unless you are addressing your reader directly, craft your essays in the third person.

Examples:

Weak: When you get your course catalogue, students need to check for conflicts before signing up for classes.

Better: Students should check for conflicts before signing up for classes.

Weak: I would say that Gatsby loves Daisy in an unreasonable way.

Better: Gatsby loves Daisy in an unreasonable way. (Demonstrate this assertion later in the essay.)

Practice maintaining third person:

1. Lee takes a passive role, I think, in her own life.
2. Even though Holden lies all the time, you can see that Holden has a lot of problems with people he thinks lie to him.
3. In my opinion, several of the characters make bad choices.

Resources for further explanation of why and how to write in third person:

Kibin Essay Writing's Why Third-Person Is Critical to a Great Essay

WC Writing Commons' Use Third-Person Point of View