Writing in the Third Person POV Point-of-View Writing in the Third Person POV

REVIEW

Let’s review first… First Person POV Do you remember first person pov? What pronouns are used for the first person pov? What type of essay uses first person pov?

Review (continued)… Second Person POV Do you remember second person pov? What pronouns are used for the second person pov? For which essay should you write in the second person pov?

Let’s take a closer look into why the second person POV should be avoided when writing academic essays…

Second Person POV When the second person pov is used, the writer is speaking directly to the reader. The second person is also often used in spoken conversation or very casual writing.

Second Person POV There are several problems that arise from speaking to the reader in a very casual way: 1. Academic essays are more formal than writing that uses the second person.

Second Person POV 2. Sometimes, the second person is used in place of the first person. That is, there are times when “you” is used instead of “I.” Ex. After I apologized to my mom, I reminded myself, “You need to treat your mom better.” If you are writing a personal narrative, be sure to speak about yourself, using the pronouns me, my, myself and I. Ex. After I apologized to my mom, I reminded myself to treat my mom better.

Second Person POV 3. When speaking to the reader, the writer may inadvertently make an incorrect assumption about his or her audience. Ex. When your dog poops on someone else’s lawn, you should pick up the poop. There may be some things a writer takes for granted about others. But be cautious. What’s a given for one person, may not be a given for another. Not everyone has a dog.

Have you ever felt the urge to say, “No shit, Sherlock”? Second Person POV 4. Speaking to the reader may come off as patronizing, or speaking down to the reader. Have you ever felt the urge to say, “No shit, Sherlock”? If so, you may have been a victim of patronizing speech. Ex. You should really be aware that you need to cover your mouth when you sneeze.

Even though there may be no pronouns (you, your, yourself), a statement can still address the reader, and so, still be written in the second person pov.

Take a look at the following sentence… Try not to blink. Even though this sentence has no 2nd person pronouns, it is clearly addressing the reader.

When rewriting the 2nd person into the 3rd person, be sure to look, not only for statements with you, your and yourself, but also for statements that address the reader without 2nd person pronouns.

Rewriting 1st & 2nd Person POV Sometimes rewriting a statement from 1st or 2nd pov can be easy. It may be simply a matter of switching pronouns, and perhaps, changing one or two other words. Ex. 1st - I am good at something. 3rd – Everyone is good at something.

Sometimes rewriting a statement from the 1st or 2nd person to the 3rd person, can be more complicated than changing a few words. This means that there are some sentences that need to be completely rewritten.

Ex. 2nd pov – You haven’t tried anything until you’ve tried haggis. How would you rewrite this sentence in the 3rd person? 3rd pov – Haggis is a unique dish with a distinct flavor, and is unlike any other food.

Be sure to check your essay for 1st and 2nd person Be sure to check your essay for 1st and 2nd person. If you find sentences that use either, rewrite them into the third person.

Now, return to the Assignments page on the class website. Review the POV chart. Then, complete the POV Exercise.