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Style of writing (Open Learning)

Writing in the third person

Your academic writing should also be written in the third person. That means avoiding words such as I, me, my, we, our, us, you and your.

Your lecturer doesn’t want your unevidenced opinion. They want to know what the experts have said and what this means.

Writing in the third person can involve using what is called the passive voice, which makes your work more objective, and less personal.

The one exception to this is when you’ve been asked to write a reflective assignment. This is more personal, so will involve you talking about your thoughts, feelings and experiences. In this case it is likely you can write in the first person, though you still may be asked to write this in the third person, so you will need to check your guidelines.

Writing in the third person can be tricky at first, but it does get easier. If you’re unsure if you should be writing in the first or third person, check with your lecturer.

Here are some examples of how to change your work into the third person:

  • Don’t write, ‘I tested the metal’. Instead write, ‘The metal was tested’.
  • Don’t write, ‘You need to follow the instructions’. Instead write, ‘The instructions need to be followed’.
  • Don’t write, ‘The student tested the software’. Instead write, ‘The software was tested’.
  • When you are giving opinions, don’t write, ‘I think’. Instead write phrases such as, ‘The evidence suggests’.