how to write an essay in first person

7 Essential Guidelines for Writing in First Person

August 20, 2018

One of the first things you need to decide when setting out to write a story is what  point of view it will be told from. This not only means deciding on the main character (or characters) you’ll be following, but also whether you’re telling their story from first or third person perspective.

(A note on second person perspective: it does exist, and you can use it. However, it’s very difficult to use effectively and to sustain throughout a longform story, so most people avoid it when writing novels. First and third person are far, far more common.)

First-person narration, of course, refers to stories told by the character themselves, using ‘I’ or ‘we’. Third-person narration is someone else telling the character’s story, using ‘he/she/they’.

If you’re thinking about writing in first person, there are a few guidelines you should be aware of to ensure your story is told in the most effective way possible.

Let’s jump in!

1. Decide if first person is right for your story

Before you start writing, consider carefully whether first-person narration is the best style of narration for the story you want to tell.

First-person narration is a great tool for many reasons. It provides a sense of intimacy between reader and character; the character is essentially telling the reader their story directly, and the reader is privy to that character’s every thought, action, emotion and experience.

First-person perspective allows you to get into a character’s head a little more than other points of view – even close third-person perspective.

Third-person narration always naturally encompasses some measure of distance between reader and character. So if a super-close experience is what you’re looking for, you can’t really beat telling a character’s story from their direct point of view.

However, there are some reasons you might choose to step away from first person instead.

If you’re planning on writing from multiple points of view , for example, using first-person narration for all your POVs might make things a little trickier than they need to be.

Your book’s target audience  should also be considered. For whatever reason, younger readers and readers of genre fiction tend to be more accepting of first-person narration than, say, older readers who prefer literary fiction.

Think about who you’re writing for, and which method of storytelling might allow you to best connect with them.

2. Pick a tense and stick with it

Once you’ve decided on writing in first person, it’s time to pick a tense to pair with it!

You’ll generally be choosing between present and past tense. Like second-person narration, future tense  is an option, but few writers take it – it’s difficult to get right.

The first person, present tense combination has proven effective for many authors, and is particularly common in the world of young adult fiction . This combination lends a sense of immediacy and urgency to the story, so it’s well-suited to fast-paced stories with high stakes and lots of action.

Combining first person and past tense is just as common. It allows for a more traditional ‘storytelling’ feel, as the narrator is recounting events that have happened in the past from their own perspective.

Whichever tense you choose, it’s important to  stick with it . Once you get into the flow of writing, you’ll probably have no trouble with this, but we’ve found there’s something about first-person narration that makes it a touch trickier to stick to your tense!

If in doubt, send your work over to a critique partner or beta reader , who’ll be able to help you identify areas you’ve missed where your tense has slipped.

3. Develop a strong voice

Voice is important in any type of storytelling, but none more so than first-person narrative.

When writing in first person, it’s not just your authorial voice coming out on the page; it’s literally your character’s voice. Your character is speaking directly to readers to tell their own story. This means they need to have their own distinct voice.

No reader will enjoy a first-person narrative that’s essentially a bland, straightforward telling of events. To help readers connect with your character, you need to inject some of their personality and essence into the way you tell their first-person story.

You can develop your character’s voice in a number of ways: through language, emotion, worldview… Delve into who they are as a person, and try to let that sing through in the first-person narrative.

Adding further to this advice: always distance yourself somewhat from your character. This can, of course, be more difficult in first person, where you’re literally using the word ‘I’ and putting yourself directly into the character’s headspace.

But readers are all too quick to notice when a character’s voice and a writer’s blend together and become indistinguishable from one another. And take it from us: they won’t appreciate it.

First-person narration shouldn’t be solely used as a tool to get your own thoughts and feelings out onto the page. (That’s what blogs, diaries and morning pages are for!)

Characters shouldn’t be mouthpieces for the author. They should be fully developed in their own right, with their own unique and strong voice – especially if that voice is being used to tell the story in first person.

4. Avoid too much introspection

While first-person narration is a great tool to help get inside a character’s head, you don’t want to spend  all your time there. Readers don’t, either.

Beware of extended periods of inner monologue or introspection from your POV character. Yes, readers want to know what the character is thinking and how they’re feeling – but if that’s all they get, the story is going to fall flat.

Plot , action and dialogue are as vitally important in first-person narrative as they are in any other style. Your POV character needs to be doing things, interacting with other characters and noticing the world around them, not just ruminating on their own thoughts and feelings.

Remember, too, that not every story told in first person has to revolve centrally around the narrator. You can also use first person to direct attention more clearly onto another character. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a perfect example of this.

From the title, you might expect that the story will be told from the perspective of Jay Gatsby himself – but it’s not. It’s told in first person from Nick Carraway’s perspective, which allows readers to view the title character in an entirely different light than they would have had the story been told from the perspective of Gatsby himself.

5. Vary your phrasing

When writing in first person, it can be all to easy to fall into the trap of repetitive words, phrasing and sentence structures. It’s likely that in your first draft , the word ‘I’ will pop up a  lot more than is desirable!

Repetition of phrasing like ‘I did this’ and ‘I did that’ can really start to jar with a reader after a while, especially if the word ‘I’ is used to start almost every sentence.

Keep an eye on your phrasing and make sure it isn’t becoming too repetitive. It helps to get into the habit of changing up your sentence structure while writing, but it can always be improved in the editing phase as well.

One handy hint is to avoid unnecessary phrases like ‘I saw’, ‘I heard’ etc. wherever possible. For example, instead of ‘I heard an eerie howling echoing through the woods’, simplify it to ‘An eerie howling echoed through the woods’.

Readers should feel as if they’re in the narrator’s head, not watching them from outside as they would in a third-person narrative. In first person, readers don’t need to be told explicitly when the character is seeing, hearing or feeling something; they need to experience it with them directly.

Keeping this in mind should help you out when it comes to reducing use of ‘I’.

6. Practise showing, not telling

The ‘show, don’t tell’ mantra is a common one for fiction writers. But never is it more important than in first-person narration.

Unfortunately, it’s easier to fall into the ‘telling’ trap when writing in first person. But there are a few tips you can keep in mind to help you avoid it.

Firstly, remember that the narrative does not need to describe every single thing a character does, even when it’s told in first person. Instead of ‘I walked over to the dresser, picked up a brush and ran it through my hair’, for example, keep things simple with ‘I ran a brush through my hair’.

Speaking of hair – that reminds us of another common trap fallen into by authors writing in first person… Painting a picture of your first-person narrator by having them look in a mirror and describe themselves! (How many times have you looked at yourself in the mirror and catalogued your physical features in your head, one by one?!)

Tactics like these come across as forced and unnatural, and really detract from the first-person narrative. They’re essentially the first-person perspective version of ‘telling’ the reader something directly, rather than letting it flow naturally through the narrative.

One more thing to remember: you don’t need to italicise and tag your character’s thoughts as you do in third-person narration. The entirety of first-person narration, after all,  is your character’s thoughts. Simply allow them to weave naturally throughout the narrative alongside action and dialogue.

7. Remember the limits of first-person perspective

Something to keep in mind when choosing first-person narration is the limited perspective it offers for storytelling.

By writing in first person, you’re committing to telling the story solely through that character and what they know, think, feel and experience.

Your narrator must be in each and every scene, and you can’t include details they don’t know. Every event in the story is displayed through that narrator’s eyes and coloured solely by their interpretation.

However, these limitations don’t necessarily need to be negative. When done right, first-person narration can be an extremely effective, intimate and in-depth mode of storytelling, which allows you (and your readers) to get right to the heart of a character .

What’s your favourite POV to read or write in? What sorts of stories do you think make for the best first-person storytelling?

Let us know in the comments!

This post was written by Claire Bradshaw

Michael Doyle

Thanks for the tips Claire!

Comments are closed.

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How to write a First Person Essay and Get a Good Grade

First-person essays are fun essays to write. The reason is that they are usually written in the first-person perspective. In this article, you will discover everything crucial you need to know about first-person essay writing.

By reading this article, you should be able to write any first-person essay confidently. However, if you need assistance writing any first-person essay, you should order it from us. We have competent writers who can write any first-person essay and deliver ASAP.

What is a first-person Essay?

A first-person essay is an academic writing task written from the first-person perspective. A typical first-person essay will involve the author describing a personal experience. This is the reason why first-person essays are also known as personal essays .

Since first-person essays are personal, they are usually written in a casual tone and from the first-person point of view. However, there are occasions when such essays must be written in a formal tone (calling for using citations and references). Nevertheless, as stated, they are often written in a casual tone.

The best first-person essays are those with a casual tone and a solid first-person point of view (POV). A casual tone is a conversational tone or a non-formal tone.

And a solid first-person POV writing is writing that is characterized by the generous use of first-person pronouns, including “I,” “me,” and “we.” It differs from the academic third-person POV writing that is characterized by the use of third-person pronouns such as “her,” “he,” and “them.”

Types of First-person Essays

There are several types of first-person essays in the academic world. The most popular ones include admission essays, reflective essays, scholarship essays, statement of purpose essays, personal narrative essays, and memoirs.

1. Admission essays

An admission essay, a personal statement, is a first-person essay that potential students write when applying for admission at various universities and colleges. Most universities and colleges across the US require potential students to write an admission essay as part of their college application.

They do this better to understand students beyond their academic and extracurricular achievements. As a result, the best college admission essays are often descriptive, honest, introspective, meaningful, engaging, and well-edited.

2. Reflective essays

A reflective essay is a first-person essay in which the author recalls and evaluates an experience. The objective of the evaluation is usually to determine whether an experience yielded any positive or negative change. Professors typically ask students to write reflective essays to encourage critical thinking and promote learning.

Reflective essays can be written in various styles. The most popular style is the conventional introduction-body-conclusion essay writing style. The best reflective essays follow this style. In addition, they are introspective, precise, well-structured, and well-edited.

3. Scholarship essays

A scholarship essay is a first-person essay you write to get a scholarship. Most competitive scholarships require students to submit an essay as part of their application. The scholarship essay submitted is one of the things they use to determine the scholarship winner.

Usually, when scholarship committees ask applicants to write a scholarship essay, they expect the applicants to explain what makes them the most suitable candidates/applicants for the scholarship. Therefore, when you are asked to write one, you should do your best to explain what makes you deserve the scholarship more than anyone else.

The best scholarship essays are those that are honest, direct, useful, and precise. They also happen to be well-edited and well-structured. 

4. Statement of purpose essays

A statement of purpose essay is a first-person essay that graduate schools require applicants to write to assess their suitability for the programs they are applying to. A statement of purpose is also known as a statement of intent. The typical statement of purpose is like a summary of an applicant’s profile, including who they are, what they have done so far, what they hope to achieve, and so on.

When you are asked to write a statement of purpose essay, you should take your time to assess what makes you a good candidate for the program you want to join. You should focus on your relevant academic achievements and what you intend to achieve in the future. The best statement of purpose essays is those that are well-structured, well-edited, and precise.

5. Personal narrative essays

A personal narrative essay is a first-person essay in which the author shares their unique experience. The most successful personal narrative essays are those that have an emotional appeal to the readers. You can create emotional appeal in your personal narrative essay by using vivid descriptions that will help your readers strongly relate to what you are talking about. You can also create emotional appeal in your personal narrative essay by generously using imageries.

The typical personal narrative essay will have three parts: introduction-body-conclusion. In addition, the best ones usually have good descriptions of various settings, events, individuals, etc. Therefore, to write an excellent personal narrative essay, you should focus on providing a detailed and engaging description of whatever you are talking about.

A memoir is a first-person essay written to provide a detailed historical account. Memoirs are usually written to share confidential or private knowledge. Retired leaders often write memoirs to give a historical account of their leadership era from their perspective.

You may not be worried about the prospect of being asked to write a memoir as a college student, but it is good to know about this type of first-person essay. It may be helpful to you in the future. Moreover, you can always write a memoir to be strictly read by your family or friends.

 Structure and Format of a First-Person Essay

You are not required to follow any specific format when penning a first-person essay. Instead, you need to write it just like a standard format essay . In other words, ensure your essay has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

1. Introduction

Your essay must have a proper introduction paragraph. An introduction paragraph is a paragraph that introduces the readers to what the essay is all about. It is what readers will first read and decide whether to continue reading the rest of your essay. Thus, if you want your essay to be read, you must get the introduction right.

The recommended way to start an essay introduction is to begin with an attention-grabbing sentence. This could be a fact related to the topic or a statistic. By starting your essay with an attention-grabbing sentence, you significantly increase the chances of readers deciding to read more.

After the attention-grabbing sentence, you must include background information on what you will discuss. This information will help your readers know what your essay is about early on.

The typical essay has a body. It is in the body that all the important details are shared. Therefore, do not overshare in the introduction when writing a first-person essay. Instead, share your important points or descriptions in the body of your essay.

The best way to write the body of your first-person essay is first to choose the most important points to talk about in your essay. After doing this, you are supposed to write about each point in a different paragraph. Doing this will make your work structured and easier to understand.

The best way to write body paragraphs is, to begin with, a topic sentence that sort of declares what the writer is about to write. You should then follow this with supporting evidence to prove your point. Lastly, you should finish your body paragraph with a closing sentence that summarizes the main point in the paragraph and provides a smooth transition to the next paragraph.

3. Conclusion

At the end of your first-person essay, you must offer a conclusion for the first-person essay to be complete. The conclusion should restate the thesis of your essay and its main points. And it should end with a closing sentence that wraps up your entire essay.

Steps for Writing a First-Person Essay

If you have been asked to write a first-person essay, you should simply follow the steps below to write an excellent first-person essay of any type.

1. Choose a topic

The first thing you need to do before you start writing a first-person essay is to choose a topic. Selecting a topic sounds like an easy thing to do, but it can be a bit difficult. This is because of two things. One, it is difficult for most people to decide what to write about quickly. Two, there is usually much pressure to choose a topic that will interest the readers.

While it is somewhat challenging to choose a topic, it can be done. You simply need to brainstorm and write down as many topics as possible and then eliminate the dull ones until you settle on a topic that you know will interest your readers.

2. Choose and stick to an essay tone

Once you choose a topic for your essay, you must choose a tone and maintain that tone throughout your essay. For example, if you choose a friendly or casual tone, you should stick to it throughout your essay.

Choosing a tone and sticking to it will make your essay sound consistent and connected. You will also give your essay a nice flow.

3. Create an outline

Once you have chosen a topic and chosen a tone for your essay, you should create an outline. The good news about creating an outline for a first-person essay is that you do not have to spend much time doing research online or in a library. The bad news is that you will have to brainstorm to create a rough sketch for your essay.

The easiest way to brainstorm to create a rough sketch for your essay is to write down the topic on a piece of paper and create a list of all the important points relevant to the topic. Make sure your list is as exhaustive as it can be. After doing this, you should identify the most relevant points to the topic and then arrange them chronologically.

Remember, a first-person essay is almost always about you telling a story. Therefore, make sure your points tell a story. And not just any story but an interesting one. Thus, after identifying the relevant points and arranging them chronologically, brainstorm and note down all the interesting details you could use to support them. It is these details that will help to make your story as enjoyable as possible.

3. Write your first draft

After creating your outline, the next thing to do is to write your first draft. Writing the first draft after creating a comprehensive outline is much easier. Consequently, simply follow the outline you created in the previous step to writing your first draft. You already arranged the most relevant points chronologically, so you shouldn’t find it challenging to write your first draft.

When writing this first draft, remember that it should be a good story. In other words, ensure your first draft is as chronological as possible. This will give it a nice flow and make it look consistent. When writing the first draft, you will surely remember new points or details about your story. Feel free to add the most useful and interesting ones.

4. Edit your essay

After writing your first draft, you should embark on editing it. The first thing you need to edit is the flow. Make sure your first draft has a nice flow. To do this, you will need to read it. Do this slowly and carefully to find any gaps or points of confusion in your draft. If you find them, edit them to give your story a nice flow.

The second thing you need to edit is the tone. Make sure the draft has a consistent tone throughout. Of course, ensure it is also in first-person narrative from the first paragraph to the last. The third thing you need to edit is the structure. Ensure your essay has a good structure with three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion.

5. Proofread your essay

After ensuring your essay has a nice flow, a consistent tone, and a good structure, you should proofread it. The purpose of doing this is to eliminate all the grammar errors, typos, and other writing mistakes. And the best way to do it is to read your essay aloud.

Reading your essay aloud will help you catch writing errors and mistakes. However, you should also proofread your essay using an online editor such as Grammarly.com to catch all the writing errors you may have missed.

After proofreading your essay, it will be crisp and ready for submission.

Topic ideas for a first-person essay

Below are some topic ideas for first-person essays. Since there are several distinct types of first-person essays, the ideas below may not be relevant to some types of first-person essays. However, the list below should give you a good idea of common first-person essay topics.

• A story about losing a friend
• A story about your first foreign trip
• A story about the best thing that happened to you
• A dangerous experience that happened to you
• A high school friend you will never forget
• A story about how you learned a new skill
• The most embarrassing thing that happened to you
• The first time you cooked your own meal
• The first time you did something heroic
• The first time you helped someone in need
• Your first job
• The most fun you’ve ever had
• The scariest thing that ever happened to you
• A day you will never forget
• The biggest life lesson you have learned
• How you met your best friend
• Your first time driving a car
• Your first time, feel depressed and lost
• A story from a vacation trip
• Your cultural identity

Sample Outline of a First-person Essay

Below is a sample outline of a first-person essay. Use it to create your first-person essay outline when you need to write a first-person essay.

• Attention-grabbing sentence
• Background info
• Thesis statement
• Body Paragraph 1
• First major point
• Closing sentence

2. Body Paragraph 2

• Second major point

3. Body Paragraph 3

• Third major point

4. Conclusion

• Thesis restatement
• Summary of major points
• Concluding statement

Example of a first-person essay

My First Job Your first job is like your first kiss; you never really forget it, no matter how many more you get in the future. My first job will always be remarkable because of the money it gave me and how useful it made me feel. About two weeks after my 17 th birthday, my mother asked me if I could consider taking a job at a small family restaurant as a cleaner. I agreed. I could say no if I wanted to, but I didn’t. My mother was a single mother working two jobs to care for my three younger siblings and me. She always came back home tired and exhausted every single day. I had always wanted to help her, and as soon as the opportunity presented itself, I grabbed it with my two hands. My mother had heard about the cleaner job from a close friend; hence she hoped I could do it to earn money for our family. Once I agreed, I went to the restaurant the next day. I took the train and arrived at about seven in the morning. The restaurant was already packed at this time, with the workers running around serving breakfast. I asked to speak to someone about the cleaning job, and I was soon at the back office getting instructions about the job. Apparently, I was the first to show genuine interest in taking the job. For the first three days, the other staff showed me around, and after that, I started cleaning the restaurant daily at $8 an hour. Now $8 an hour may seem like little money to most people, but to me, it meant the world! It was money I didn’t have. And within the first week, I had made a little over $400. I felt very proud about this when I got my first check. It made me forget how tired I was becoming from working every day. It also made me happy because it meant my mom didn’t have to work as hard as she did before. Moreover, within a month of working at the restaurant, I had accumulated over $250 in savings, which I was very proud of. The little savings I had accumulated somehow made me feel more financially secure. Every weekend after work was like a victory parade for me. The moment I handed over half my pay to my mother made me feel so helpful around the house. I could do anything I wanted with the remaining half of the pay. I used quite a fraction of this weekly to buy snacks for my siblings. This made me feel nice and even more useful around the house. After about three months of work, my mom got a promotion at one of her places of work. It meant I no longer needed to work at the restaurant. But I still went to work there anyway. I did it because of the money and how useful it made me feel. I continued working at the restaurant for about five more months before joining college.

Final Thoughts!

First-person essays are essays written from the first-person perspective. There are several first-person perspective essays, including personal narrative essays, scholarship essays, admission essays, memoirs, etc.

In this post, you learned everything crucial about first-person essays. If you need help writing any first-person essay, you should contact us. We’ve got writers ready to write any type of first-person essay for you.

Any of our writers can ensure your first-person essay is excellent, original, error-free, and ready for submission.

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Encyclopedia

Writing with artificial intelligence, using first person in an academic essay: when is it okay.

• CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 by Jenna Pack Sheffield

Related Concepts: Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community ; First-Person Point of View ; Rhetorical Analysis; Rhetorical Stance ; The First Person ; Voice

In order to determine whether or not you can speak or write from the first-person point of view, you need to engage in rhetorical analysis. You need to question whether your audience values and accepts the first person as a legitimate rhetorical stance. Source:Many times, high school students are told not to use first person (“I,” “we,” “my,” “us,” and so forth) in their essays. As a college student, you should realize that this is a rule that can and should be broken—at the right time, of course.

By now, you’ve probably written a personal essay, memoir, or narrative that used first person. After all, how could you write a personal essay about yourself, for instance, without using the dreaded “I” word?

However, academic essays differ from personal essays; they are typically researched and use a formal tone . Because of these differences, when students write an academic essay, they quickly shy away from first person because of what they have been told in high school or because they believe that first person feels too informal for an intellectual, researched text. While first person can definitely be overused in academic essays (which is likely why your teachers tell you not to use it), there are moments in a paper when it is not only appropriate, but also more effective and/or persuasive to use first person. The following are a few instances in which it is appropriate to use first person in an academic essay:

• Including a personal anecdote: You have more than likely been told that you need a strong “hook” to draw your readers in during an introduction. Sometimes, the best hook is a personal anecdote, or a short amusing story about yourself. In this situation, it would seem unnatural not to use first-person pronouns such as “I” and “myself.” Your readers will appreciate the personal touch and will want to keep reading! (For more information about incorporating personal anecdotes into your writing, see “ Employing Narrative in an Essay .”)
• Establishing your credibility ( ethos ): Ethos is a term stemming back to Ancient Greece that essentially means “character” in the sense of trustworthiness or credibility. A writer can establish her ethos by convincing the reader that she is trustworthy source. Oftentimes, the best way to do that is to get personal—tell the reader a little bit about yourself. (For more information about ethos, see “ Ethos .”)For instance, let’s say you are writing an essay arguing that dance is a sport. Using the occasional personal pronoun to let your audience know that you, in fact, are a classically trained dancer—and have the muscles and scars to prove it—goes a long way in establishing your credibility and proving your argument. And this use of first person will not distract or annoy your readers because it is purposeful.
• Clarifying passive constructions : Often, when writers try to avoid using first person in essays, they end up creating confusing, passive sentences . For instance, let’s say I am writing an essay about different word processing technologies, and I want to make the point that I am using Microsoft Word to write this essay. If I tried to avoid first-person pronouns, my sentence might read: “Right now, this essay is being written in Microsoft Word.” While this sentence is not wrong, it is what we call passive—the subject of the sentence is being acted upon because there is no one performing the action. To most people, this sentence sounds better: “Right now, I am writing this essay in Microsoft Word.” Do you see the difference? In this case, using first person makes your writing clearer.
• Stating your position in relation to others: Sometimes, especially in an argumentative essay, it is necessary to state your opinion on the topic . Readers want to know where you stand, and it is sometimes helpful to assert yourself by putting your own opinions into the essay. You can imagine the passive sentences (see above) that might occur if you try to state your argument without using the word “I.” The key here is to use first person sparingly. Use personal pronouns enough to get your point across clearly without inundating your readers with this language.

Now, the above list is certainly not exhaustive. The best thing to do is to use your good judgment, and you can always check with your instructor if you are unsure of his or her perspective on the issue. Ultimately, if you feel that using first person has a purpose or will have a strategic effect on your audience, then it is probably fine to use first-person pronouns. Just be sure not to overuse this language, at the risk of sounding narcissistic, self-centered, or unaware of others’ opinions on a topic.

Recommended Readings:

• A Synthesis of Professor Perspectives on Using First and Third Person in Academic Writing
• Finding the Bunny: How to Make a Personal Connection to Your Writing
• First-Person Point of View

Brevity – Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence – How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Flow – How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity – Inclusive Language

The Elements of Style – The DNA of Powerful Writing

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How to write a first person essay

• November 18, 2023

A first person essay is a type of academic essay written in the first person point of view that presents a significant lesson learned from a writer’s personal experience.

The aim of a first person essay is to establish a bond with the reader. You encourage the reader to accompany you on your personal journey when writing this type of essay .

Step 1: First person essay example

Before we go further into the steps, analyze  the following first person essay example This will give you an overall idea of what a first person essay is.

First person essay example

When I think of my past life, one of the memories I remember the most vividly is my first day at school. Hook: Engaging first sentence that helps the reader grasp the importance of the event. I have always been a student that loved school and studying; I am what you might consider a nerd. Therefore, I don’t think it’s necessary for me to say how excited I was to start school. Personal information: Information that connects the reader with the writer.

In the weeks leading up to the first school day, I remember checking my stationary my parents had bought me for school every day and admiring them, thinking how excited I was to finally start using them. Opening sentence: Vivid explanation of the past events, creating a more appealing story. I had already learned to read and write before starting elementary school, and I could not wait to see the look on my teacher’s face when I told them, “I already know this stuff!”. Yes, I was an annoying kid. Insights: Insight into the writer’s personality, which creates a more sincere tone. You can ask my childhood friends if you would like to hear someone else’s thoughts on this; I am sure they will tell you the same thing. Concluding sentence: Casual and humorous tone that eases the reader.

You probably expect a happy first day of school story from me right now. Emotional connection: Addressing the reader, therefore strengthening the emotional connection. The truth is far from that. As much as I was a nerd, I was a mamma’s kid. Insights: Further insight into the writer’s personality. So, when my parents dropped me off at school, I started crying my eyes out. Event: Vivid description of the event. I did not want them to leave, but I also wanted to begin my first school day. So, my mother set eyes on a blonde girl that she thought looked like a good kid and made me sit next to her. After starting to chat with my new friend, I slowly eased off and was ready to put on a show. Needless to say, that blonde girl became one of my best friends in elementary school. Feelings: Description of feelings felt by the writer. This helps strengthen the bond between the writer and the reader. Even though it did not go quite according to my plans, I still cherish the memory of my first day at school. Concluding sentence: Concluding sentence of your paragraph which should be memorable and descriptive.

The rest of the school year was much more eventful because, being a crybaby, I started crying even at the slightest of inconvenience. Emotional connection: More insight into the writer’s personality. Adding these details creates an emotional bond with the reader. Naturally, this created a problem for my teacher and classmates, in so much that the deputy headteacher was telling kids to keep quiet, not because it disrupted the class, but because it made me cry. Emphasizing memories: Recounting of more memories in a casual tone. Thinking back to my first school day and generally, my elementary school experience always makes me happy. Therefore, I always have so much fun talking about my school experiences. Final sentence: Your finishing sentences, make sure to make it memorable for your reader.

Step 2: Structure of a first person essay

When it comes to first person essays, both structured academic writing or casual personal narratives can be used.

But remember that the style of first person essays is typically conversational . You need to combine a mixture of personal anecdotes, an emotional connection, and a clear point of view.  So personal pronouns are highly common in first person essays.

First person pronouns

First person pronouns example.

Pronouns such as “ I ,” “ me ,” and “ we ” First person pronouns must be used when writing first person essays. This contrasts with the third person point of view, which uses third person pronouns such as “ he ,” “ she ,” and “ they ”. Third person pronouns

Second person pronouns

Second-person pronouns example.

First person essays also contrast with the second-person point of view, which uses second-person pronouns such as “ you ,” and “ yours ”. Second-person pronouns

Now that we have learned the essentials of first person essays, we can continue with the steps to write an excellent one.

Step 3: Choosing a first person essay topic

Almost any topic can be written in a first person essay. But this should not scare you, as we have some tactics for you to easily choose your topic .

• It doesn’t matter what you write as long as it’s something you’re enthusiastic about.
• Ask yourself this question: “What have I experienced in the past that has had an emotional appeal on me?”
• Choose a topic that is amusing, compelling or moving.
• If you’re having trouble choosing what to talk about, think about what makes you happy or sad.

First person essay topic examples

• Your first day at school
• Your new life in a new city​
• The funniest day of your life​
• A sad event you have gone through​
• A memory from your childhood​

For this guide, we’ve chosen the topic of “ your first day at school .” Above, you’ll see the example essay . When you’ve worked out what you want to say, move on to the next step: figure out your tone.

Step 4: Define your tone

Before starting your first draft, think about your essay’s tone and language (see UK and US English ). 

Your writing style will need to change depending on the purpose of your essay. For instance, i f you’re writing an argumentative or persuasive essay, you may want to use a calculated and rational first person viewpoint .

This will persuade the reader to agree with your key argument. But when you’re writing a reflective essay , you may want to use satire to keep the reader entertained.

So for first person essays, ask yourself these questions to see if your tone is appropriate:

• Is my tone clear?
• Is my writing intimate and appealing?​
• Can my first person storytelling connect with the reader?​

If your answers to these questions are “ yes ,” you are probably doing a good job.

Step 5: Create an outline

It’s time to make a brief outline now that you’ve selected your topic and decided on the right tone. The outline will help you get your thoughts organized. It will also help you with the order of your headings in the writing process .

Your first person essay should follow the traditional introduction , body paragraphs , and conclusion essay structure, unless stated otherwise.

Example of a first person essay outline

• Personal information
• Concluding sentence
• Final sentence

Ask yourself these questions while creating your outline:

• What are your story’s or argument’s key points?
• What are the places, people, and events that are important for my essay?​
• What do you want people to understand from your first person essay?​
• What feelings do you want to inspire or trigger?​
• What do you want your readers to think about you? ​

Step 6: Write your first draft

Now, let’s get to writing. The first draft of your essay is an important step toward creating a well-thought-out and concentrated academic essay .

First person essay introduction first draft example

Introduction (Hook, Personal information) I was always attracted by the stars in the night sky as a youngster. They appeared to be tiny pinpricks of light, far away and enigmatic. My passion in astronomy only grew as I grew older, and I began to spend countless hours studying the stars and planets. I didn't realize the enormous power of a telescope until I was in college. I could see aspects of the world that I had never dreamed conceivable with such a little tool. I've been studying the stars as an amateur astronomer for almost a decade. I've always been captivated by the universe's beauty and complexity, and I feel is no greater thrill than learning something new about our surroundings.

Things to consider

• Don’t be too harsh on your first draft. You’ll have plenty of time to revise it later.
• All you have to do now is identify your story's basic elements: characters, locations, and incidents.​
• It’s fine to stop, gather your thoughts, and remind yourself of your main idea when writing your first draft.​
• If you can, give yourself a few days to rest after writing the draft, then come back and revise it. ​

More on first draft

Step 7: revise your draft and finish writing, first person essay introduction final draft example.

Introduction (Hook, Personal information) I was always attracted by the stars The stars always attracted me in the night sky as a youngster. They appeared to be tiny pinpricks of light, far away and enigmatic. My passion in astronomy only for astronomy grew as I grew older, and I began to spend spent countless hours studying the stars and planets. I didn't realize only realized the enormous power of a telescope until once I was in college. I could see aspects of the world that I had never dreamed of conceivable with such a little tool. I've been studying studied the stars as an amateur astronomer for almost a decade. I've always been captivated by the universe's beauty and complexity, and I feel and there is no greater incredible thrill than learning something new about our surroundings.

Important things to consider while revising

• Don’t just tell the reader what’s going on; use vivid common words, phrasal words , transition words , and transition sentences to describe the situation and depict the storyline.
• Avoid excessive emotions. It’s perfectly appropriate to convey happiness, frustration, or sadness, but you must strike a balance.​
• Proofread the essay for common mistakes , spelling and grammar mistakes ( active and passive etc.), capitalization rules , punctuation, and repetitions.
• Examine the writing and see if it’s straightforward and to-the-point and whether you’re sharing your ideas in an understandable way.
• Is there consistency in the essay, both structurally and contextually?
• Are there any passive voice sentences that I can rewrite in active voice?​
• Is there enough sensory information in my essay to touch the reader and make them feel like they’re a part of my experience?​

Key takeaways

• A first-person essay is a type of essay that is written from the perspective of the author, using "I" statements and personal experiences.
• To write a first-person essay, you must be willing to share personal details and experiences with your reader.
• Begin your essay with a clear introduction that provides context for your topic and establishes your voice as the author.
• Use personal anecdotes, sensory details, and other techniques to bring your experiences to life and engage the reader.
• End your essay with a conclusion that reflects on your experiences and provides a final thought or message for the reader.

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First-Person Point of View: Definition and Examples

4-minute read

• 13th August 2023

The first-person point of view is a grammatical person narrative technique that immerses the reader into the intimate perspective of a single character or individual.

In this literary approach, the story unfolds through the eyes, thoughts, and emotions of the narrator, granting the reader direct access to their inner world. Through the narrator’s use of pronouns such as I and me , readers gain a personal and subjective understanding of the narrator’s experiences, motivations, and conflicts. For example:

If the author uses the third-person point of view , the sentence would read like this:

Why Write From the First-Person Point of View?

This point of view often creates a strong sense of immediacy, enabling readers to form a deep connection with the narrator while limiting the reader’s knowledge to what this character or narrator knows. It’s a dynamic viewpoint that allows the rich exploration of a character’s or narrator’s growth and provides the opportunity to delve into their personal struggles.

First-person narration shouldn’t be used or should be considered carefully in some situations. Familiarize yourself with genre style and tone before making this decision.

Using the First-Person Point of View in Fiction

The first-person point of view is a powerful tool in fiction because it can create an intimate and engaging connection between the reader and the narrator. It is particularly effective for the following purposes.

Developing a Character’s Voice and Personality

First-person narration facilitates a deep exploration of a character’s or narrator’s unique voice, thoughts, and personality. It enables readers to experience the story through the lens of the narrator or a specific character, giving the reader direct insight into their emotions, motivations, and growth.

Portraying Subjective Experiences

When the story relies heavily on the narrator’s or a character’s subjective experience, emotions, and perceptions, the first-person point of view can help the reader connect on a personal level. This bond is especially beneficial in stories that explore complex internal conflicts and psychological themes.

Enhancing Reader Empathy

First-person narratives can foster empathy by enabling readers to see the world through the eyes of the narrator. This perspective can lead to a more emotional and immersive reading experience, allowing readers to relate to and invest in the narrator’s or a character’s journey.

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Conveying Unreliable Narrators

First-person narration is excellent for stories featuring unreliable narrators . Readers can uncover discrepancies between what the narrator says and what they actually do, revealing layers of intrigue and mystery.

Delivering Engaging Storytelling

When the narrative requires a strong and engaging storyteller, the first-person point of view can make the story feel more like a conversation or confession, drawing the reader in.

It’s also important to note that using the first-person point of view comes with limitations. The narrator’s perspective is confined to what they personally experience, possibly limiting the scope of the story’s atmosphere and the portrayal of events that occur outside the narrator’s awareness. Consider how authors of classic novels have utilized point of view in their writing.

The First-Person Point of View in Research Essays

Generally, it’s preferable to avoid the first person in academic and formal writing. Research papers are expected to maintain an objective, unbiased, and impartial tone, focusing on presenting information, data, and analyses clearly. The use of I or we may introduce subjectivity and personal opinions, which can undermine the credibility and professionalism of the research.

Instead, the third-person point of view is preferred because it allows a more neutral and detached presentation of the material. Follow the guidelines and style requirements of the specific field or publication you’re writing for: some disciplines may have different conventions regarding the use of first-person language.

The first person can lend itself to some types of research description when the researcher is discussing why they made a particular decision in their approach or how and why they interpret their findings.

But be aware that when writers attempt to write without reverting to the first person, they often overuse the passive voice . In nonfiction or academic writing, staying in the first person may sometimes be better than using the passive voice.

Ultimately, the decision to use the first person in fiction or nonfiction depends on the specific goals of the author. Fiction authors should consider how this narrative choice aligns with the story’s themes, characters, and intended emotional impact. Research writers should carefully consider whether the use of the first person is necessary to convey their findings and decisions or whether that information could be described as or more effectively without it.

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How To Write A First Person Essay That Gets You Into College

Declan Gessel

May 10, 2024

If you're looking to understand the power of the First Person Essay, this guide will give you all the answers you need. No fluff or beating around the bush here - just pure value. Learn how to write an essay that will take your readers on a journey of discovery. Let's dive in and start writing!

Table of Contents

What is a first person essay, how to choose the right first person essay experience, 3 tips to help you structure your college essay, write smarter with jotbot — start writing for free today.

First person essay writing is a genre of writing where the author tells a story from their own perspective. This type of essay allows the author to share their personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings. It allows the writer to be reflective and share their personality and voice with the audience.

Difference between first-person and third-person writing styles

When writing in the first person, the author uses pronouns like "I" and "me" to tell the story. It gives the audience a personal touch and allows them to connect with the author on a deeper level. Third-person writing, on the other hand, uses pronouns like "he," "she," or "it." It provides a more objective perspective because the author is telling the story as an outsider.

Reflecting on what you learned or how the experience impacted you

First person essays are not just about narrating what happened. They also allow the author to reflect on how the experience impacted them, what they learned from it, and how it shaped them as an individual. It's not just about what happened but how it made the author who they are today.

Sharing personal experiences and showcasing your voice and personality

First person essays give authors the opportunity to share personal experiences with the audience. By doing so, the author can showcase their voice and personality, making the story more engaging and relatable for the readers. This writing style enables a deeper connection between the author and the audience, as it allows readers to see the world through the author's eyes.

Impact of stories

Studies have shown that stories have a profound impact on human emotions and behaviors. They can enhance our empathy and ability to connect with others. When readers engage with first person essays, they build a connection with the author through their personal experiences and reflections. This connection can create a lasting impact on the audience, making the essay an effective medium for sharing stories and experiences.

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1. Crafting a Captivating Introduction

A strong introduction is crucial for a compelling college essay. It grabs the reader's attention and sets the stage for your narrative. A few ways to write an engaging introduction are:

Using an anecdote to draw the reader in, such as sharing a moment of fear that also reveals your courage.

Painting a vivid image, like the dusty shelves of an antique bookstore that inspired you to become a writer.

Asking a thought-provoking question, like whether the reader has overcome a challenge staring failure in the face.

2. Constructing a Cohesive Narrative

A clear and organized structure is key to a successful essay. Opt for a narrative arc, which involves a beginning, middle, and an end, to maintain flow. Here are additional tips:

Employ clear transitions between paragraphs to guide readers seamlessly through your story.

Organize your essay either chronologically or thematically to maintain clarity.

Emphasize key moments and details to move the story forward effectively.

3. Showing, Not Telling: Bringing Your Story to Life

Engage your reader by using "show, don't tell" to make them feel part of your story. Consider implementing sensory details like:

In-depth descriptions of sights, sounds, smells, and emotions to make your narrative more vibrant.

Show your actions, thoughts, and feelings throughout the experience to immerse readers in your journey.

Enrich scenes with specific details and figurative language to avoid clichés and make your writing more dynamic.

4. Building a Thoughtful Narrative

A standout college essay transcends mere storytelling. Reflect on your experience and why it is significant to you. Some insights include:

Analyzing the lessons learned or the impact the experience had on you.

Connecting the experience to your passions, goals, and future aspirations.

Demonstrating how the experience makes you a perfect candidate for the college or program you are applying to.

5. Polishing Your Essay

Lastly, revise and edit your essay meticulously to ensure clarity and impact. Here are quick tips to help you spruce up your essay:

Proofread diligently for typos, grammar errors, and punctuation mistakes.

Read your essay aloud to detect awkward phrasing and enhance its flow.

Seek feedback from trustworthy sources to improve your writing.

Revise your essay by tightening sentences, replacing weak words, and ensuring it is clear and compelling.

Maintain consciousness and adhere to the word limit to keep your essay focused and engaging.

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1. The Challenge Essay

The Challenge Essay is a personal essay type that delves into a significant obstacle, difficulty, or setback that you have encountered. In this type of essay, you have a chance to narrate how you demonstrated resilience, problem-solving skills, and your ability to overcome adversity.  Key elements of this type of essay include a clear description of the challenge faced, the actions taken to overcome it, the lessons learned or personal growth experienced, and how the experience demonstrates your strengths and character. For example, a prompt for this type of essay could be "Describe a time you faced a major setback. How did you respond, and what did you learn from the experience?"

2. The Achievement Essay

The Achievement Essay is centered around a specific accomplishment that you are proud of, no matter how big or small. Through this essay type, you can emphasize your skills, talents, work ethic, and ability to achieve goals.  Key elements of this essay include a detailed description of the accomplishment, the skills and qualities utilized to achieve it, challenges faced along the way (optional), and the significance of this accomplishment to your future goals. For instance, a prompt could be "Describe a project, activity, or achievement that demonstrates your leadership skills and initiative."

3. The Community Essay

The Community Essay highlights your involvement in a community, whether in school, volunteering, or extracurricular activities, and the impact it has had on you. This type of essay allows you to showcase your passion, social awareness, ability to collaborate, and commitment to a cause.  Key elements of this essay include a description of the community involved in, the specific role played and contributions made, the impact of this experience on you and the community, and how this involvement connects to your future goals. For example, a prompt could be "Describe a time you collaborated with others to achieve a common goal. What did you learn about yourself and teamwork through this experience?"

When it comes to writing essays, having the right tools can make all the difference. That's where Jotbot comes in. Jotbot is a personal document assistant that uses artificial intelligence to help with a variety of tasks related to writing. From note-taking to video summarizing, Jotbot can streamline your writing process and make it easier to produce high-quality work. With Jotbot's help, you can write smarter, not harder .

AI Note Taking

Jotbot's AI note-taking feature allows you to capture and organize your thoughts quickly and efficiently. Whether you're conducting research, brainstorming ideas, or outlining your essay, Jotbot can help you keep track of all the information you need. With Jotbot's note-taking capabilities, you can stay focused on the task at hand and ensure that you have all the information you need to write a successful essay.

AI Video Summarizing

If you're working with video content as part of your research, Jotbot's AI video summarizing feature can help you extract the key points quickly and easily. Instead of having to watch entire videos to find the information you need, Jotbot can summarize the content for you, saving you time and effort. With Jotbot's video summarizing capabilities, you can access the information you need more efficiently and focus on writing your essay.

AI Citation/Source Finder

Citing sources is an essential part of writing an essay, but it can also be time-consuming and challenging. Jotbot's AI citation and source finder feature can help you identify and include the sources you need quickly and accurately. By leveraging Jotbot's capabilities, you can ensure that your essay is well-researched and properly sourced, without spending hours searching for the information you need.

AI Outlines for Essays

Creating an outline is a critical step in the essay-writing process, but it can also be daunting. Jotbot's AI outline feature can help you organize your thoughts, structure your essay, and ensure that you're covering all the necessary points. By using Jotbot to create an outline, you can approach the writing process more systematically and with greater confidence, ensuring that your essay is well-organized and coherent.

AI Essay Writer

In addition to helping you with various aspects of the writing process, Jotbot also offers an AI essay writer feature that can generate entire essays for you. Whether you're looking for inspiration, struggling with writer's block, or simply short on time, Jotbot's AI essay writer can help you get started on your essay and provide you with a solid foundation to build on. By using Jotbot's AI essay writer, you can jumpstart your writing process and produce high-quality work more efficiently. Ultimately, Jotbot is a powerful tool that can help you write better essays in less time. By leveraging Jotbot's AI capabilities, you can streamline your writing process, produce high-quality work, and achieve better results. Whether you're a student, a writer, a researcher, or a member of a team, Jotbot can help you write smarter, not harder . So why not give it a try and start writing with Jotbot today?

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Essay writing: first-person and third-person points of view, introduction.

People approach essay writing in so many different ways. Some spend a long time worrying about how to set about writing an informative piece, which will educate, or even entertain, the readers. But it is not just the content that's the issue; it is also the way the content is - or ought to be - written. More may have asked the question: what should I use, the first-person point of view (POV) or the third-person?

Choosing between the two has confused more than a few essay-writing people. Sure, it can be easy to fill the piece up with healthy chunks of information and content, but it takes a deeper understanding of both points of view to be able to avoid slipping in and out one or the other - or at least realize it when it happens. Sure, a Jekyll and Hyde way of writing may be clever, but it can be very confusing in non-fiction forms, like the essay.

Why is all this important?

Continually swapping from the first-person to the third-person POV may leave the reader confused. Who exactly is talking here? Why does one part of the essay sound so detached and unaffected, while the next suddenly appears to be intimate and personal?

Indeed, making the mistake of using both points of view - without realizing it - leaves readers with the impression of the essay being haphazardly written.

Using first-person: advantages and disadvantages

The use of the first-person narration in an essay means that the author is writing exclusively from his or her point of view - no one else's. The story or the information will thus be told from the perspective of "I," and "We," with words like "me," "us," "my," "mine," "our," and "ours" often found throughout the essay.

Example: "I first heard about this coastal island two years ago, when the newspapers reported the worst oil spill in recent history. To me, the story had the impact of a footnote - evidence of my urban snobbishness. Luckily, the mess of that has since been cleaned up; its last ugly ripple has ebbed."

You will see from the above example that the writer, while not exactly talking about himself or herself, uses the first-person point of view to share information about a certain coastal island, and a certain oil spill. The decision to do so enables the essay to have a more personal, subjective, and even intimate tone of voice; it also allows the author to refer to events, experiences, and people while giving (or withholding) information as he or she pleases.

The first-person view also provides an opportunity to convey the viewpoint character or author's personal thoughts, emotions, opinion, feelings, judgments, understandings, and other internal information (or information that only the author possesses) - as in "the story had the impact of a footnote". This then allows readers to be part of the narrator's world and identify with the viewpoint character.

This is why the first-person point of view is a natural choice for memoirs, autobiographical pieces, personal experience essays, and other forms of non-fiction in which the author serves also as a character in the story.

The first-person POV does have certain limitations. First and most obvious is the fact that the author is limited to a single point of view, which can be narrow, restrictive, and awkward. Less careful or inexperienced writers using first-person may also fall to the temptation of making themselves the focal subject - even the sole subject - of the essay, even in cases that demand focus and information on other subjects, characters, or events.

Using third-person: advantages and disadvantages

The third-person point of view, meanwhile, is another flexible narrative device used in essays and other forms of non-fiction wherein the author is not a character within the story, serving only as an unspecified, uninvolved, and unnamed narrator conveying information throughout the essay. In third-person writing, people and characters are referred to as "he," "she," "it," and "they"; "I" and "we" are never used (unless, of course, in a direct quote).

Example: "Local residents of the coastal island province suffered an ecological disaster in 2006, in the form of an oil spill that was reported by national newspapers to be worst in the country's history. Cleaning up took two years, after which they were finally able to go back to advertising their island's beach sands as 'pure' and its soil, 'fertile.'"

Obviously, the use of the third-person point of view here makes the essay sound more factual - and not just a personal collection of the author's own ideas, opinions, and thoughts. It also lends the piece a more professional and less casual tone. Moreover, writing in third-person can help establish the greatest possible distance between reader and author - and the kind of distance necessary to present the essay's rhetorical situations.

The essay being non-fiction, it is important to keep in mind that the primary purpose of the form is to convey information about a particular subject to the reader. The reader has the right to believe that the essay is factually correct, or is at least given context by factual events, people, and places.

The third-person point of view is more common in reports, research papers, critiques, biography, history, and traditional journalistic essays. This again relates to the fact that the author can, with the third-person POV, create a formal distance, a kind of objectivity, appropriate in putting up arguments or presenting a case.

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How to Write in First Person

Last Updated: October 17, 2022 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Stephanie Wong Ken, MFA . Stephanie Wong Ken is a writer based in Canada. Stephanie's writing has appeared in Joyland, Catapult, Pithead Chapel, Cosmonaut's Avenue, and other publications. She holds an MFA in Fiction and Creative Writing from Portland State University. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 117,388 times.

Writing in the first person can be a fun challenge, allowing you to explore a first person point of view on the page. You may write in the first person in a short story, novel, or opinion piece. Creating an effective first person narrative requires skill and consistency as well as a thorough revision of the writing once it is done.

Choosing a Tense for the First Person Narrative

• For example, a first person present tense narrator would be, “I open the window and yell at him to leave me alone. I close the window and try to focus on the latest soap opera on television.”

• For example, a first person past tense narrator would be, “I opened the window and yelled at him to leave me alone. I closed the window and tried to focus on the latest soap opera on television.”

• If you are using APA style, you can use the first person point of view to discuss your research steps in a research paper. For example, you may write, “I studied sample A” or “I interviewed subject B.” In general, you should avoid the first person point of view and only use it sparingly in your research paper.

Using the First Person to Build Character

• For example, if your narrator is a Latino teenager who lives in the Bronx, they will have a distinct narrative voice that may use Spanish phrases and teenage slang as well as standard English.

• For example, rather than say, “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. A killer spider skittered towards me and I thought, I’m dead,” focus on describing the action straight from the viewpoint of the narrator. You may write, “This couldn’t be what I was seeing. A killer spider skittered towards me. I’m dead.”

• For example, rather than write, “I tried to talk to Sara about how I felt but she didn’t want to listen to what I had to say,” you may put this content in a scene with dialogue and action. You may write instead, “‘Sara, why won’t you talk to me?’ I was determined to get her to listen to what I had to say.”

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Moby Dick by Herman Melville
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid
• "Shooting an Elephant," an essay by George Orwell
• "The Death of the Moth," an essay by Virginia Woolf

Avoiding the Pitfalls of First Person

• For example, rather than have two sentences like, “I ran down the stairs, my heart pounding. I could hear the killer spider skittering on the wall behind me,” you can write, “I ran down the stairs, my heart pounding. Behind me, the killer spider skittered on the wall.”

• For example, rather than write, “I bumped into Marsha and she told me she left her homework at home. I felt sorry for her and told her not to get so upset,” you may place the reader right in a scene.
• You may write, “As I turned the corner of the gym, I bumped into Marsha. ‘I forgot my homework at home,’ she complained. I put my hand on her shoulder and tried to comfort her. ‘Don’t be too upset,’ I said to her.”

• For example, rather than write, “I felt sad about losing her as a friend,” you may write, “Sadness filled my body as I realized I was losing her as a friend.”
• You can also often simply remove “I thought” or “I saw” in a sentence to make the first person point of view stronger. For example, rather than write, “I passed her in the hall and almost stopped to talk to her. Then, I thought, why bother, she’s just going to reject you anyway,” remove "I thought" and tighten up the action in the sentence.
• You may write, “I passed her in the hall and almost stopped to talk to her. But I kept walking. Why bother, she’s just going to reject me anyway.”

Polishing the First Person Narrative

• You should also pay attention to the tense in the story. Make sure the story does not shift from present to past tense or vice versa. It should stay in the same tense the entire time.

• You may also show the story to a writing group to get their criticisms and critiques. Be open to the feedback of others and use it to improve the first person narrator in your story.

Community Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/verbtenses
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/verb_tenses/verb_tense_consistency.html
• ↑ https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar/writing/is-character-voice-different-from-author-voice.html
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/first-second-and-third-person/
• ↑ http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-writing-in-first-person.html
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/reading-aloud/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/

About This Article

Writing in the first person means writing from the perspective of one person or character. When writing, you’ll want to use words like “I,” “we,” or “me” to demonstrate it’s the first-person perspective. For instance, if you’re writing a narrative, you might say, “I called Marissa on the phone.” Avoid starting every sentence with “I” since this can get repetitive. You can also pepper in dialogue, descriptions of the scene, and action sentences to keep things interesting. If you're writing a first-person narrative, you'll want to make sure everything is told from the perspective of 1 character. This means that everything your character says and does should be consistent with their worldview.  To learn how to polish your first person narrative, read more from our Writing co-author! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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The “no first-person” myth

• First-Person Pronouns
• Research and Publication

In this series, we look at common APA Style misconceptions and debunk these myths one by one.

Many writers believe the “no first-person” myth, which is that writers cannot use first-person pronouns such as “I” or “we” in an APA Style paper. This myth implies that writers must instead refer to themselves in the third person (e.g., as “the author” or “the authors”). However, APA Style has no such rule against using first-person pronouns and actually encourages their use to avoid ambiguity in attribution!

When expressing your own views or the views of yourself and fellow authors, use the pronouns “I” or “we” and the like . Similarly, when writing your paper, use first-person pronouns when describing work you did by yourself or work you and your fellow authors did together when conducting your research. For example, use “we interviewed participants” rather than “the authors interviewed participants.” When writing an APA Style paper by yourself, use the first-person pronoun “I” to refer to yourself. And use the pronoun “we” when writing an APA Style paper with others. Here are some phrases you might use in your paper:

“I think…” “I believe…” “I interviewed the participants…” “I analyzed the data…” “My analysis of the data revealed…” “We concluded…” “Our results showed…”

This guidance can be found in Section 4.16 of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition and in Section 2.16 of the Concise Guide to APA Style, Seventh Edition . It represents a continuation of a long-standing APA Style guideline that began with the second edition of the manual, in 1974.

Keep in mind that you should avoid using the editorial “we” to refer to people in general so that it is clear to readers to whom you are referring. Instead, use more specific nouns such as “people” or “researchers.”

As always, defer to your instructors’ guidelines when writing student papers. For example, your instructor may ask students to avoid using first-person language. If so, follow that guideline for work in your class.

Now that we’ve debunked another myth, go forth APA Style writers, using the first-person when appropriate!

What myth should we debunk next? Leave a comment below.

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Should I Use “I”?

What this handout is about.

This handout is about determining when to use first person pronouns (“I”, “we,” “me,” “us,” “my,” and “our”) and personal experience in academic writing. “First person” and “personal experience” might sound like two ways of saying the same thing, but first person and personal experience can work in very different ways in your writing. You might choose to use “I” but not make any reference to your individual experiences in a particular paper. Or you might include a brief description of an experience that could help illustrate a point you’re making without ever using the word “I.” So whether or not you should use first person and personal experience are really two separate questions, both of which this handout addresses. It also offers some alternatives if you decide that either “I” or personal experience isn’t appropriate for your project. If you’ve decided that you do want to use one of them, this handout offers some ideas about how to do so effectively, because in many cases using one or the other might strengthen your writing.

Expectations about academic writing

Students often arrive at college with strict lists of writing rules in mind. Often these are rather strict lists of absolutes, including rules both stated and unstated:

• Each essay should have exactly five paragraphs.
• Don’t begin a sentence with “and” or “because.”
• Never include personal opinion.
• Never use “I” in essays.

We get these ideas primarily from teachers and other students. Often these ideas are derived from good advice but have been turned into unnecessarily strict rules in our minds. The problem is that overly strict rules about writing can prevent us, as writers, from being flexible enough to learn to adapt to the writing styles of different fields, ranging from the sciences to the humanities, and different kinds of writing projects, ranging from reviews to research.

So when it suits your purpose as a scholar, you will probably need to break some of the old rules, particularly the rules that prohibit first person pronouns and personal experience. Although there are certainly some instructors who think that these rules should be followed (so it is a good idea to ask directly), many instructors in all kinds of fields are finding reason to depart from these rules. Avoiding “I” can lead to awkwardness and vagueness, whereas using it in your writing can improve style and clarity. Using personal experience, when relevant, can add concreteness and even authority to writing that might otherwise be vague and impersonal. Because college writing situations vary widely in terms of stylistic conventions, tone, audience, and purpose, the trick is deciphering the conventions of your writing context and determining how your purpose and audience affect the way you write. The rest of this handout is devoted to strategies for figuring out when to use “I” and personal experience.

Effective uses of “I”:

In many cases, using the first person pronoun can improve your writing, by offering the following benefits:

• Assertiveness: In some cases you might wish to emphasize agency (who is doing what), as for instance if you need to point out how valuable your particular project is to an academic discipline or to claim your unique perspective or argument.
• Clarity: Because trying to avoid the first person can lead to awkward constructions and vagueness, using the first person can improve your writing style.
• Positioning yourself in the essay: In some projects, you need to explain how your research or ideas build on or depart from the work of others, in which case you’ll need to say “I,” “we,” “my,” or “our”; if you wish to claim some kind of authority on the topic, first person may help you do so.

Deciding whether “I” will help your style

Here is an example of how using the first person can make the writing clearer and more assertive:

Original example:

In studying American popular culture of the 1980s, the question of to what degree materialism was a major characteristic of the cultural milieu was explored.

Better example using first person:

In our study of American popular culture of the 1980s, we explored the degree to which materialism characterized the cultural milieu.

The original example sounds less emphatic and direct than the revised version; using “I” allows the writers to avoid the convoluted construction of the original and clarifies who did what.

Here is an example in which alternatives to the first person would be more appropriate:

As I observed the communication styles of first-year Carolina women, I noticed frequent use of non-verbal cues.

Better example:

A study of the communication styles of first-year Carolina women revealed frequent use of non-verbal cues.

In the original example, using the first person grounds the experience heavily in the writer’s subjective, individual perspective, but the writer’s purpose is to describe a phenomenon that is in fact objective or independent of that perspective. Avoiding the first person here creates the desired impression of an observed phenomenon that could be reproduced and also creates a stronger, clearer statement.

Here’s another example in which an alternative to first person works better:

As I was reading this study of medieval village life, I noticed that social class tended to be clearly defined.

This study of medieval village life reveals that social class tended to be clearly defined.

Although you may run across instructors who find the casual style of the original example refreshing, they are probably rare. The revised version sounds more academic and renders the statement more assertive and direct.

Here’s a final example:

I think that Aristotle’s ethical arguments are logical and readily applicable to contemporary cases, or at least it seems that way to me.

Better example

Aristotle’s ethical arguments are logical and readily applicable to contemporary cases.

In this example, there is no real need to announce that that statement about Aristotle is your thought; this is your paper, so readers will assume that the ideas in it are yours.

Determining whether to use “I” according to the conventions of the academic field

Which fields allow “I”?

The rules for this are changing, so it’s always best to ask your instructor if you’re not sure about using first person. But here are some general guidelines.

Sciences: In the past, scientific writers avoided the use of “I” because scientists often view the first person as interfering with the impression of objectivity and impersonality they are seeking to create. But conventions seem to be changing in some cases—for instance, when a scientific writer is describing a project she is working on or positioning that project within the existing research on the topic. Check with your science instructor to find out whether it’s o.k. to use “I” in their class.

Social Sciences: Some social scientists try to avoid “I” for the same reasons that other scientists do. But first person is becoming more commonly accepted, especially when the writer is describing their project or perspective.

Humanities: Ask your instructor whether you should use “I.” The purpose of writing in the humanities is generally to offer your own analysis of language, ideas, or a work of art. Writers in these fields tend to value assertiveness and to emphasize agency (who’s doing what), so the first person is often—but not always—appropriate. Sometimes writers use the first person in a less effective way, preceding an assertion with “I think,” “I feel,” or “I believe” as if such a phrase could replace a real defense of an argument. While your audience is generally interested in your perspective in the humanities fields, readers do expect you to fully argue, support, and illustrate your assertions. Personal belief or opinion is generally not sufficient in itself; you will need evidence of some kind to convince your reader.

Other writing situations: If you’re writing a speech, use of the first and even the second person (“you”) is generally encouraged because these personal pronouns can create a desirable sense of connection between speaker and listener and can contribute to the sense that the speaker is sincere and involved in the issue. If you’re writing a resume, though, avoid the first person; describe your experience, education, and skills without using a personal pronoun (for example, under “Experience” you might write “Volunteered as a peer counselor”).

A note on the second person “you”:

In situations where your intention is to sound conversational and friendly because it suits your purpose, as it does in this handout intended to offer helpful advice, or in a letter or speech, “you” might help to create just the sense of familiarity you’re after. But in most academic writing situations, “you” sounds overly conversational, as for instance in a claim like “when you read the poem ‘The Wasteland,’ you feel a sense of emptiness.” In this case, the “you” sounds overly conversational. The statement would read better as “The poem ‘The Wasteland’ creates a sense of emptiness.” Academic writers almost always use alternatives to the second person pronoun, such as “one,” “the reader,” or “people.”

Personal experience in academic writing

The question of whether personal experience has a place in academic writing depends on context and purpose. In papers that seek to analyze an objective principle or data as in science papers, or in papers for a field that explicitly tries to minimize the effect of the researcher’s presence such as anthropology, personal experience would probably distract from your purpose. But sometimes you might need to explicitly situate your position as researcher in relation to your subject of study. Or if your purpose is to present your individual response to a work of art, to offer examples of how an idea or theory might apply to life, or to use experience as evidence or a demonstration of an abstract principle, personal experience might have a legitimate role to play in your academic writing. Using personal experience effectively usually means keeping it in the service of your argument, as opposed to letting it become an end in itself or take over the paper.

It’s also usually best to keep your real or hypothetical stories brief, but they can strengthen arguments in need of concrete illustrations or even just a little more vitality.

Here are some examples of effective ways to incorporate personal experience in academic writing:

• Anecdotes: In some cases, brief examples of experiences you’ve had or witnessed may serve as useful illustrations of a point you’re arguing or a theory you’re evaluating. For instance, in philosophical arguments, writers often use a real or hypothetical situation to illustrate abstract ideas and principles.
• References to your own experience can explain your interest in an issue or even help to establish your authority on a topic.
• Some specific writing situations, such as application essays, explicitly call for discussion of personal experience.

Here are some suggestions about including personal experience in writing for specific fields:

Philosophy: In philosophical writing, your purpose is generally to reconstruct or evaluate an existing argument, and/or to generate your own. Sometimes, doing this effectively may involve offering a hypothetical example or an illustration. In these cases, you might find that inventing or recounting a scenario that you’ve experienced or witnessed could help demonstrate your point. Personal experience can play a very useful role in your philosophy papers, as long as you always explain to the reader how the experience is related to your argument. (See our handout on writing in philosophy for more information.)

Religion: Religion courses might seem like a place where personal experience would be welcomed. But most religion courses take a cultural, historical, or textual approach, and these generally require objectivity and impersonality. So although you probably have very strong beliefs or powerful experiences in this area that might motivate your interest in the field, they shouldn’t supplant scholarly analysis. But ask your instructor, as it is possible that they are interested in your personal experiences with religion, especially in less formal assignments such as response papers. (See our handout on writing in religious studies for more information.)

Literature, Music, Fine Arts, and Film: Writing projects in these fields can sometimes benefit from the inclusion of personal experience, as long as it isn’t tangential. For instance, your annoyance over your roommate’s habits might not add much to an analysis of “Citizen Kane.” However, if you’re writing about Ridley Scott’s treatment of relationships between women in the movie “Thelma and Louise,” some reference your own observations about these relationships might be relevant if it adds to your analysis of the film. Personal experience can be especially appropriate in a response paper, or in any kind of assignment that asks about your experience of the work as a reader or viewer. Some film and literature scholars are interested in how a film or literary text is received by different audiences, so a discussion of how a particular viewer or reader experiences or identifies with the piece would probably be appropriate. (See our handouts on writing about fiction , art history , and drama for more information.)

Women’s Studies: Women’s Studies classes tend to be taught from a feminist perspective, a perspective which is generally interested in the ways in which individuals experience gender roles. So personal experience can often serve as evidence for your analytical and argumentative papers in this field. This field is also one in which you might be asked to keep a journal, a kind of writing that requires you to apply theoretical concepts to your experiences.

History: If you’re analyzing a historical period or issue, personal experience is less likely to advance your purpose of objectivity. However, some kinds of historical scholarship do involve the exploration of personal histories. So although you might not be referencing your own experience, you might very well be discussing other people’s experiences as illustrations of their historical contexts. (See our handout on writing in history for more information.)

Sciences: Because the primary purpose is to study data and fixed principles in an objective way, personal experience is less likely to have a place in this kind of writing. Often, as in a lab report, your goal is to describe observations in such a way that a reader could duplicate the experiment, so the less extra information, the better. Of course, if you’re working in the social sciences, case studies—accounts of the personal experiences of other people—are a crucial part of your scholarship. (See our handout on  writing in the sciences for more information.)

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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How to Write in First Person (Tips and Examples)

Posted on Jan 19, 2022

Written by Gloria Russell

Anyone who has read and enjoyed any amount of fanfiction can tell you that perspective changes everything. 

The way an audience sees what’s happening hugely informs the way they experience the story. Imagine each character in your story has a GoPro attached to their head and a little device recording their thoughts and reactions as they navigate the plot. The feed would change hugely based on who you were watching, wouldn’t it? 

Choosing the point of view character (or characters) for your story is crucial, so it’s also important to know what your options look like. 

In this article, we’re going to talk about the first person. We’ll talk about what it is, give you some tips for writing in first person, and show you some examples of first person writing done well. 

This guide on how to write in first person covers:

What is first person point of view, how to write in first person point of view, how to write a story in first person, how to write dialogue in first person, how to write thoughts in first person, how to not write in first person.

• Examples of first person writing

In first person, you’re in the head of the point of view character, and you’re using the pronoun “I.” 

Say we’re writing a book about a woman named Sally, for example. If this story is in first person, you would be writing the book from Sally’s perspective as if from inside Sally’s head. Instead of saying “Sally walked to the store,” you would say “I walked to the store.” The “I” is Sally. 

This means that in first person, the reader is locked inside the POV (point of view) character’s mind. They see what the main character sees, and they don’t see what the main character misses. The POV character is narrating the story to us as they experience it, basically, which can create a very personal and relatable experience. 

Writing in first person might seem like an obvious and even easy choice, but it can get gnarly pretty quick. When done well, it’s an intimate experience that brings the reader close to the POV character. When done badly, it can get clunky and detached. 

Here are a few tips for writing in first person! 

These tips will help you write your next story in the first-person perspective:

Consider your POV character’s perspective 

When you’re writing first-person, you should always be thinking about things from the perspective of your POV character. 

Think of point of view like a lens. The story is happening, but we need a lens to see it. Our POV character might have a blue lens—this will tinge everything blue. There will be nothing that isn’t somehow affected by the blue lens, and there will be no way to see something without that lens or through a different one. 

While you’re writing, consider what your POV character thinks of the setting. Prioritize their reactions and the way they would describe things. Maybe you think parties are loud and claustrophobic, but you’re writing the first-person account of someone who loves parties. This means that instead of describing a party as noisy or dirty, the party should be exciting and fun. 

Stay inside your POV character’s head 

Writers new to first person will often veer outside the first-person perspective when they feel they need to, and this is a mistake. 

Remember: we’re only seeing what the POV character sees. It might be important for the reader to know that our main character’s husband is discontent with their marriage, for example, but we can’t jump into the husband’s head or read his mind. 

There’s a difference between your main character guessing what other people think and perspective-jumping, though. It’s fine if your main character projects and makes incorrect assumptions, but these projections and incorrect assumptions should be addressed, and it shouldn’t feel like we’ve left our main character’s point of view. 

Give your POV character a clear voice 

First person is the perfect place to explore voice. After all, we’re inside this person’s head navigating the story with them—their personality, manner of speech, and turns of phrase should come through in the prose. 

This doesn’t mean that your story ought to read like a diary entry, necessarily. Having excessively casual and overly characterized prose can get cheesy pretty quick. But it does mean you should let your POV character flavor your story. 

Make first person an important choice 

Above all, make sure that first person is the right choice for your story. 

What is the benefit to being in this person’s head? What does the story gain from this limited perspective? In The Secret History by Donna Tartt, our first-person main character isn’t present for so me of the most dramatic parts of the story. This means that the reader, like the main character, is relying entirely on the accounts of his friends to explain what happened. Having this little information cranks the drama. We don’t know what happened, and we don’t know who to trust, and we’re eager to find out. 

In a romance, first person might give us a more intimate look into a character’s feelings and motivations. It’s a quick way to make a story relatable and personable, so it’s a go-to if you’re writing a memoir or an intensely personal piece. 

Consider your options, and pick first person on purpose. 

Wondering how to write dialogue in first person? It’s the same as if you were writing from any other perspective. Use the correct pronouns in your dialogue tags, and you’re good to go. 

Here’s a quick example of first-person dialogue between a first-person narrator and someone else: 

“Hey, Dee,” I said. 

“Oh, hello!” said Dee. 

If this were third person, and let’s say the narrator’s name is Sally, it would look like this: 

“Hey, Dee,” Sally said. 

Incorporate thoughts into the narration

You’ve probably read first-person prose where thoughts are written in italics to distinguish them from the narration. 

For example: 

“I couldn’t believe she was leaving . I’ll never see her again. I have to say something now. But before I could open my mouth, the door swung shut in my face.” 

You don’t need to say “I thought,” since the italics already distinguish the thoughts as thoughts. 

However, in first person, you also don’t need to use italics. We’re in the main character’s head, which means technically everything we’re reading is something the main character is thinking. This is especially easy to do if you’re writing in the present tense. 

Let’s take the example above and rewrite it to incorporate thoughts into the narration. 

“I couldn’t believe she was leaving. I’d never see her again. I needed to say something now. But before I could open my mouth, the door swung shut in my face.” 

This reads more smoothly, and it allows the main character’s perspective to add some flavor to the prose. 

What should you avoid when you’re writing in first person? I’ve made a short list of things to watch for: 

Filter words 

Since first-person accounts put us right in the main character’s head, everything we see is everything they see. Descriptions of things are, therefore, things that the main character is observing. This means we don’t need filter words, or words that put distance between the character and the writing. 

For example, instead of saying “I saw a bird fly into the window,” you would just write “the bird flew into the window.” “I heard the coach blow the whistle” becomes “The coach blew the whistle.” 

You may use filter words or phrases to create that distance intentionally, but it should always be intentional and never the default way of describing things to your reader. 

POV-hopping 

Like I said before, avoid POV hopping. We’re in the main character’s head, and we should stay there. 

What might POV hopping look like in first person? Here’s a quick example: 

“I did my homework while Mom worked on her painting. She wasn’t sure whether to use red or blue for the background, so she mixed them into a vibrant purple.” 

Unless we already know that Mom is struggling with the background, this is perspective-hopping. We don’t know what Mom is thinking. Instead, we could perceive her indecision and let the reader infer that she’s not sure what to do with the background. That would look more like this: 

“I did my homework while Mom worked on her painting. She touched her brush to the blank background, frowning. Her fingers drifted over her red and blue paints for the entirety of my math worksheet, and when I started on History, she’d mixed the red and blue into a vibrant purple.” 

Overdoing a character voice 

Earlier, I mentioned that overdoing a character’s voice can make the prose cheesy. This generally happens when the prose reads too casual, lacks interesting description, and includes too many exclamatory phrases. It can also happen when someone writes from the first-person perspective of someone from somewhere they don’t know and gives them a stereotypical voice. 

For example, if you were writing from the first person perspective of a ranch hand, this might read a little ridiculous: 

“Well, golly. The sun was shining in my eyes the whole diddly-darn time I was out attending the cattle. I sure was mighty glad to be back inside. I mosied on over to the water cooler and poured myself a big ol’ cup.” 

This doesn’t read authentically—it’s kind of cartoonish, which disconnects the reader from the story. Imagine reading an entire book like this. You wouldn’t want to, right? 

Getting too stuck in a character’s head 

What do I mean by this? Really, I just mean that most of your sentences shouldn’t start with “I.” Even though we’re in the POV of your main character, every single sentence shouldn’t be strictly about them. Avoiding filter words will help you with this, as will varying your sentence structure. 

Here’s an example of first-person prose that’s too stuck in a character’s head: 

“I got my groceries. Then, I bought myself a new suit at the outlet mall. On the way home, I listened to the radio, which I hated to do, but the quiet felt stifling for some reason.” 

See how we’re repeating “I” a bunch of times? Here’s another way we might word that same passage: 

“I walked to the store, then bought myself a new suit at the outlet mall. On the way home, the silence filled the car uncomfortably. The radio helped, even if it meant listening to the horrible clanging music on the local station.” 

By taking out some of those filter phrases and removing some instances of “I,” we have more style in the prose, more connection to the scene, and more sentence variation to boot. 

First person omniscient

A quick note on first-person omniscient! 

First-person omniscient is when we have a first person narrator who also is privy to the thoughts of other characters. This is pretty rare, but The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak is a great example. There’s generally a reason as to why the first-person narrator has this information, whether it’s hindsight or, in the case of Zusak, the nature of the narrator being something all-knowing like death. 

Examples of first person pov writing

If you’re looking for some examples of first person done right, check these books out on your next trip to the library: 

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak 

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold 

The Secret History by Donna Tartt 

Looking for Alaska by John Green 

Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich 

Maximum Ride by James Patterson 

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Scholarly Voice: First-Person Point of View

First-person point of view.

Since 2007, Walden academic leadership has endorsed the APA manual guidance on appropriate use of the first-person singular pronoun "I," allowing the use of this pronoun in all Walden academic writing except doctoral capstone abstracts, which should not contain first person pronouns.

In addition to the pointers below, APA 7, Section 4.16 provides information on the appropriate use of first person in scholarly writing.

Inappropriate Uses:   I feel that eating white bread causes cancer. The author feels that eating white bread causes cancer. I found several sources (Marks, 2011; Isaac, 2006; Stuart, in press) that showed a link between white bread consumption and cancer.   Appropriate Use:   I surveyed 2,900 adults who consumed white bread regularly. In this chapter, I present a literature review on research about how seasonal light changes affect depression.

Confusing Sentence:   The researcher found that the authors had been accurate in their study of helium, which the researcher had hypothesized from the beginning of their project.   Revision:   I found that Johnson et al. (2011) had been accurate in their study of helium, which I had hypothesized since I began my project.

Passive voice:   The surveys were distributed and the results were compiled after they were collected.   Revision:   I distributed the surveys, and then I collected and compiled the results.

Appropriate use of first person we and our :   Two other nurses and I worked together to create a qualitative survey to measure patient satisfaction. Upon completion, we presented the results to our supervisor.

Make assumptions about your readers by putting them in a group to which they may not belong by using first person plural pronouns. Inappropriate use of first person "we" and "our":

• We can stop obesity in our society by changing our lifestyles.
• We need to help our patients recover faster.

In the first sentence above, the readers would not necessarily know who "we" are, and using a phrase such as "our society " can immediately exclude readers from outside your social group. In the second sentence, the author assumes that the reader is a nurse or medical professional, which may not be the case, and the sentence expresses the opinion of the author.

To write with more precision and clarity, hallmarks of scholarly writing, revise these sentences without the use of "we" and "our."

• Moderate activity can reduce the risk of obesity (Hu et al., 2003).
• Staff members in the health care industry can help improve the recovery rate for patients (Matthews, 2013).

Pronouns Video

• APA Formatting & Style: Pronouns (video transcript)

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• Tips & Guides

How To Avoid Using “We,” “You,” And “I” in an Essay

• Posted on October 27, 2022 October 27, 2022

Maintaining a formal voice while writing academic essays and papers is essential to sound objective. 

One of the main rules of academic or formal writing is to avoid first-person pronouns like “we,” “you,” and “I.” These words pull focus away from the topic and shift it to the speaker – the opposite of your goal.

While it may seem difficult at first, some tricks can help you avoid personal language and keep a professional tone.

Let’s learn how to avoid using “we” in an essay.

What Is a Personal Pronoun?

Pronouns are words used to refer to a noun indirectly. Examples include “he,” “his,” “her,” and “hers.” Any time you refer to a noun – whether a person, object, or animal – without using its name, you use a pronoun.

Personal pronouns are a type of pronoun. A personal pronoun is a pronoun you use whenever you directly refer to the subject of the sentence. 

Take the following short paragraph as an example:

“Mr. Smith told the class yesterday to work on our essays. Mr. Smith also said that Mr. Smith lost Mr. Smith’s laptop in the lunchroom.”

The above sentence contains no pronouns at all. There are three places where you would insert a pronoun, but only two where you would put a personal pronoun. See the revised sentence below:

“Mr. Smith told the class yesterday to work on our essays. He also said that he lost his laptop in the lunchroom.”

“He” is a personal pronoun because we are talking directly about Mr. Smith. “His” is not a personal pronoun (it’s a possessive pronoun) because we are not speaking directly about Mr. Smith. Rather, we are talking about Mr. Smith’s laptop.

If later on you talk about Mr. Smith’s laptop, you may say:

“Mr. Smith found it in his car, not the lunchroom!” 

In this case, “it” is a personal pronoun because in this point of view we are making a reference to the laptop directly and not as something owned by Mr. Smith.

Why Avoid Personal Pronouns in Essay Writing

We’re teaching you how to avoid using “I” in writing, but why is this necessary? Academic writing aims to focus on a clear topic, sound objective, and paint the writer as a source of authority. Word choice can significantly impact your success in achieving these goals.

Writing that uses personal pronouns can unintentionally shift the reader’s focus onto the writer, pulling their focus away from the topic at hand.

Personal pronouns may also make your work seem less objective. 

One of the most challenging parts of essay writing is learning which words to avoid and how to avoid them. Fortunately, following a few simple tricks, you can master the English Language and write like a pro in no time.

Alternatives To Using Personal Pronouns

How to not use “I” in a paper? What are the alternatives? There are many ways to avoid the use of personal pronouns in academic writing. By shifting your word choice and sentence structure, you can keep the overall meaning of your sentences while re-shaping your tone.

Utilize Passive Voice

In conventional writing, students are taught to avoid the passive voice as much as possible, but it can be an excellent way to avoid first-person pronouns in academic writing.

You can use the passive voice to avoid using pronouns. Take this sentence, for example:

“ We used 150 ml of HCl for the experiment.”

Instead of using “we” and the active voice, you can use a passive voice without a pronoun. The sentence above becomes:

“150 ml of HCl were used for the experiment.” 

Using the passive voice removes your team from the experiment and makes your work sound more objective.

Take a Third-Person Perspective

Another answer to “how to avoid using ‘we’ in an essay?” is the use of a third-person perspective. Changing the perspective is a good way to take first-person pronouns out of a sentence. A third-person point of view will not use any first-person pronouns because the information is not given from the speaker’s perspective.

A third-person sentence is spoken entirely about the subject where the speaker is outside of the sentence.

Take a look at the sentence below:

“In this article you will learn about formal writing.”

The perspective in that sentence is second person, and it uses the personal pronoun “you.” You can change this sentence to sound more objective by using third-person pronouns:

“In this article the reader will learn about formal writing.”

The use of a third-person point of view makes the second sentence sound more academic and confident. Second-person pronouns, like those used in the first sentence, sound less formal and objective.

Be Specific With Word Choice

You can avoid first-personal pronouns by choosing your words carefully. Often, you may find that you are inserting unnecessary nouns into your work. 

Take the following sentence as an example:

“ My research shows the students did poorly on the test.”

In this case, the first-person pronoun ‘my’ can be entirely cut out from the sentence. It then becomes:

“Research shows the students did poorly on the test.”

The second sentence is more succinct and sounds more authoritative without changing the sentence structure.

You should also make sure to watch out for the improper use of adverbs and nouns. Being careful with your word choice regarding nouns, adverbs, verbs, and adjectives can help mitigate your use of personal pronouns. 

“They bravely started the French revolution in 1789.” 

While this sentence might be fine in a story about the revolution, an essay or academic piece should only focus on the facts. The world ‘bravely’ is a good indicator that you are inserting unnecessary personal pronouns into your work.

We can revise this sentence into:

“The French revolution started in 1789.” 

Avoid adverbs (adjectives that describe verbs), and you will find that you avoid personal pronouns by default.

Closing Thoughts

In academic writing, It is crucial to sound objective and focus on the topic. Using personal pronouns pulls the focus away from the subject and makes writing sound subjective.

Hopefully, this article has helped you learn how to avoid using “we” in an essay.

When working on any formal writing assignment, avoid personal pronouns and informal language as much as possible.

While getting the hang of academic writing, you will likely make some mistakes, so revising is vital. Always double-check for personal pronouns, plagiarism , spelling mistakes, and correctly cited pieces. 

 You can prevent and correct mistakes using a plagiarism checker at any time, completely for free.

Quetext is a platform that helps you with all those tasks. Check out all resources that are available to you today.

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When to Use First-Person Writing in Your Essays

The dreaded “I” word. How can one letter be so malignant when it comes to academic writing?

It’s likely that many of your teachers and professors have drilled it into your head that using first-person writing in your essays will immediately result in another unrelenting letter of the alphabet: “F.”

As a curious student, you may be thinking that surely there must be some instances where using first-person writing is okay.

If that’s you, you’re asking all the right questions. This post will cover when it’s okay to use first-person writing in your essays and when it’s better to stick with third-person.

What Exactly Is First-Person Writing?

For instance, this adorable kitten is talking primarily in first-person perspective (the “you” and “your” there is second-person perspective , which could be another blog topic entirely).

First-person writing can get really boring really fast. For example, I’ll write a short narrative about my day so far.

I opened my emails. I ate breakfast. The neighbor’s dog annoyed me. I pet my cats and later pushed them off the couch. I thought about eating popcorn for breakfast…but didn’t. My roommate and I could not decide whether or not to hang the art in our apartment.

While I might think I am fascinating, you have probably stopped reading the list by now. You’re done hearing about me, me, me , right?

Well, think of that as part of the reason your teachers might boycott first-person pronouns. If your professor wants you to write an essay about President Obama, he or she probably doesn’t want to hear about what you (or the President for that matter) ate for breakfast.

When Is First-person Writing Ineffective or Unwarranted?

Let’s face it. Everyone likes to write about themselves. The problem with first-person perspective in academic writing is that it can sound

• self-centered

When your instructor wants you to write a 15-page research paper about the problems in the Middle East , exclusively talking about your opinions on the matter is going to be an issue.

Instead, you should look for unbiased sources, search through the material, and use that in your research paper to make it more credible . Yes, that might sound like a lot more work, but it will pay off when you get your grade.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to take out first-person writing altogether. If you have the impulse to write in first-person perspective a lot, that’s okay! It’s still a great way to get your thoughts out on paper.

For example, pretend that this is one of my main points for a poem analysis I am writing:

Using words such as “melancholy” and “frustration,” the poem made me feel sad.

In this case, the first-person “me” would not be appropriate because the focus needs to be on the poem itself and not on what I think about it. But, because I wrote this, I now understand what the poem is doing.

I can rewrite this idea in my second draft using third-person perspective:

Using words such as “melancholy” and “frustration,” the poem employs a mournful tone to demonstrate the difficulty that comes with the loss of a loved one.

Most times, you’re the only one who will see your first draft, so go ahead and throw first-person perspective in if it helps you get your thoughts on paper. Make sure, however, that you go through and take it out in your revision.

Make or Break Your Academic Career: When Is First-person Writing Okay?

Okay, I was being dramatic with that header. Really, if you mess up on choosing whether to use first-person writing or not, you don’t have to forever hang your head in shame. You might get a slap on the wrist (in the form of some red marks on your paper), but it’s not the end of the world.

However, it never hurts to educate yourself on the dos and don’ts of first-person writing.

While essays about you require first-person, other types of essays (e.g., research papers) usually should not include first-person perspective.

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Here are some examples of types of essays that, by their nature, require first-person writing:

• Personal narrative essays
• Memoir/reflective essays
• Personal statements (e.g., college application essays)

Try writing an essay about the first time you went to the dentist (narrative essay) without using first-person writing. It would probably sound something like this:

One time, someone’s mom took a person to the dentist, and that person did not like the dentist because the person had cavities.

Writing using “I”  just makes more sense for the context:

One time, my mom took me to the dentist, and I did not like the dentist because I had cavities.

Much better, right? There, you already have ammo to use against your teacher when he or she says “no” to first-person writing.  

If you would like to look at more examples of essays that require first-person writing, check out these sample personal narrative essays !

Getting Down and Dirty with First-Person Writing

Now we get to the more complicated bit: knowing when to use first-person writing in other types of academic papers.

As a failsafe, I would suggest that you stay away from first-person writing in most instances . As long as you are not writing personal essays, it would be hard to go wrong with leaving yourself out of it.

There  are cases where first-person writing is appropriate in other types of academic writing, but I would highly suggest discussing it with your professor first. Here are a couple of those cases:

Case #1 – Replacing Passive Voice with First-person Writing

Passive voice is another no-no that professors and teachers pound into students’ heads, and one way to fix it is to use first-person perspective. Here is a sentence that is in passive voice:

The flask was used to combine the liquids so the experiment could be observed.

While some style guides say to limit passive voice, others strictly say not to use it at all. For instance, the above sentence would not be acceptable in APA Style . Here is one way to fix the sentence:

The researcher used the flask to combine the liquids and observe the experiment.

However, if you are the researcher, it would be appropriate to use “I” in your APA format lab write-up.

I used the flask to combine the liquids and observe the experiment.

“We” would also be appropriate an appropriate pronoun if there were more than one researcher and you were one of them.

We used the flask to combine the liquids and observe the experiment.

Case #2 – Personal Anecdotes

In some essays, adding a personal experience or anecdote can make your essay more successful. For instance, talking about an experience you had when you went to a public forum might be pertinent in a persuasive essay about why more people need to attend public forums.

That being said, don’t go crazy with the first-person writing like this guy.

In these types of essays, limit your use of first-person writing to maybe one short paragraph, and make sure that the writing is relevant to your topic. If you are writing an essay about how important doctors are, for example, you might not want to talk about how your dog has superpowers.

Just a hunch.

The Verdict on First-person Writing: Sometimes

Like many hard-and-fast rules, there are instances when using first-person pronouns (or even running red lights) is okay.  

Remember that personal essays (essays about you) need first-person writing. Research papers, literary analyses, and other academic papers, on the other hand, can include first-person writing on a situational basis as long as it is relevant and does not occur all the way through the essay.

If you need help taking the first-person pronouns out of your essay, you can always get help from our talented Kibin editors .

* Cover image by Frederik Delaere

Psst... 98% of Kibin users report better grades! Get inspiration from over 500,000 example essays .

About the Author

Andra V. (they/them), in addition to writing and editing for Kibin , is the author of Body Until Light , Time Counts Backward from Infinity , and two chapbooks of poetry. They lead creative writing workshops and believe that art, poetry, and aesthetics are forms of divinity. They live the revolution of queerness and are very happily settled with a nesting partner, two bunnies, and a spinning wheel at their home in Portland, OR.

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How To Write A First Person Essay | Types, Format and Steps on How To Write A First Person Essay

April 11, 2023 by Prasanna

How To Write A First Person Essay: What Do You Mean By The First-Person Essay? The first-person essay means an essay that should be written in first-person, mainly using phrases or words like me, mine, my, I, etc. It means one should write this kind of essay as if he/she has had the experienced of the stories or the topics discussed or explained in the piece. The first-person essay lets the readers imagine and experience the uniqueness of the information mentioned in the essay. It affects the reader’s mind; it starts to make them think about how one particular incident changed the life of the writer forever.

To make this happen, it is a must that the writer writes the essay in first-person. Writing the same essay in a third person will never have the same effect on the readers. No matter how great the story is. The writer’s sole aim here is to engage the readers in the development and make them believe that they are present in that particular situation.

This is what the first-person essay is all about. Further, in the essay, I will be discussing the types of First-person essays.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more

Types Of The First-Person Essay

• Personal Narrative Essay: This type of the first-person essay generally deals with sharing the writer’s unique experience. The story that the writer is narrating in the essay must have an emotional impact on the readers. In order to do so, the writer has to use such descriptions that will enable the readers to relate to the situation. Another essential aspect of narrative writing is the use of various imageries. The must be able to help the readers imagine the details of the surroundings, scenario. To impact this on the readers, the narrator must keep in mind the intrinsic information and mention it while describing a particular scene and its importance.
• Reflective Essays/Memoirs: Reflective essays refer to the essays in which the writer tests their real-life experiences. It helps them understand whether that experience has brought a positive or an adverse change. It helps them to understand their personal growth, identify their fears, and understand themselves better. To determine the difference in the lives of the writer, one can write a reflective essay. In most cases, reflective essays are written in first-person so that it is easier to recreate the experiences that took place. Talking about the format of the reflective essay, it entirely depends on the audience. For example, writing a reflective essay for a college and writing a reflective essay for a job will have different materials in it. It will also cover various topics and other aspects of individual growth.
• Memoirs: Memoirs are usually historical accounts or essays written from personal knowledge or experience. It should have been reported in first-person as it involves the sharing of confidential or private information of a person. Memoirs don’t require or have to have a broad audience. The writer may write a memoir only for a limited group of people like the writer’s family or friends. It is completely upon the writer with whom he/she wants to share the memoir.
• Personal Statements: It is a written description of the writer’s achievements, interests, academics, etc. it is mainly associated with job applications, college applications, applications for further studies, etc. As its statements are mostly applications, it must be in first-person. When the essay is written in the third or second person, it would absolutely make no sense.

Format Of A First-Person Essay

There is no specified or distinct format for writing a first-person essay. It thus follows the basic rules of an essay. It mainly consists of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion that the writer will have to write in first-person.

Introduction: the essay must have a proper introduction. This is the part that will decide whether the readers will be reading the essay or not. So, the writer needs to have a substantial and impactful introduction.

The introduction paragraph should introduce the topic and give the readers the slightest idea about the essay. It should be crisp yet exciting, grabbing the attention of the readers.

Body: The body of the essay deals with all the descriptions, essential points, and stories of the essay. The body consists of All the crucial elements, turns of events. It is the longest part of the essay. To make sure that the body is written with facts and theories, making it an exciting piece, the writer should continuously keep the body’s content in check.

The writer should write the climax in this part of the essay.

Conclusion: this marks the end of the essay. After the climax, in this section of the essay discusses the post climatic part of the essay. It brings all the points together, joining all the loose ends. This leaves the readers with a sense of completeness and a proper ending.

Writing The First-Person Essay In Five Steps

In the case of writing a first-person essay, it might turn out to be a hassle. But in order to avoid such hassle, one can follow the following steps to write a perfect essay in a hassle-free manner.

Select a Topic: Choosing a topic may seem to be a very confusing task. It is also the most crucial task that must be accomplished with efficiency. This is the most important work of the writer as the essay will be revolving around this topic. It has a vast impact on the readers. If the chosen topic is not up to the mark, the readers will find it too dull. If the topic’s selection is appropriately made then, the essay will be a complete hit.

The Essay’s Voice Must Be Considered: it is a must to consider the voice of the essay throughout. The writer shall always ensure that he/she is writing the entire essay in first-person. One should never mix up the voices or the tense while writing an essay.

If the writer is writing an argumentative essay, the essay will be written in first-person in such a manner that the main point of the argument is conveyed to the readers. On the other hand, if a writer is writing a reflective essay, there should be some humor in the story order to entertain the readers and engage them with the essay. The ultimate aim here is to maintain the essay’s tone so the reader feels connected with the first-person narrative.

Make a Rough Outline:  Once the topic is chosen and the choice of the tone of the essay is made, the next step is to make a rough sketch of the story’s plot. The stories, places, and people who will be a part of the essay should be jotted down on a piece of paper. The list should be made according to their occurrence in the essay. Which character comes after which incident, what happens in which place, etc.

The job of the writer here is to make sure that the story is following a trail, and it should not sound abrupt at all. To put in words that will make the readers feel the situation, it will make them think that they are facing the situation and not that they are reading an essay. Writing all these down in points will help the writer to a great extent.

Write a Draft:  After all of the previous steps are complete, it is time to start writing. In this context, one thing to keep in mind is that one should not make it boring, repeating the same points. It should have heavy emotions, candidness, and a few personal references. In first-person writing, the writer is the main protagonist, so he/she should make sure that there is an essence of their personality being reflected in the essay.

Edit: Last but not least, the job of the essay is editing. After roughly writing the essay, one should always go back to the start and re-read the essay. Make all the necessary changes and make the writing crisp yet to the point. There are a few tips that the writer has to ensure in the end. The writer needs to make sure that the essay is not too long as if it is so, the readers will lose interest.

One will also have to make the required grammar changes, make sure that the tenses are correct, etc. after all of this is complete, the essay will be ready for submission to the concerned party.

These are a few effective steps mentioned in the above paragraph that has a vast impact on the writers.

FAQ’s On How To Write A First-Person Essay

Question 1. Is it okay to use first-person in an essay?

Answer: It is definitely okay to use or write an essay in first-person. In the majority of the cases, the first-person essay must be written. In essays like an application for college, jobs, only first-person should be used; in these cases, using second-person to write an essay is absolutely inappropriate and makes no sense.

Question 2. What can be an example of a first-person essay?

Answer: A first-person essay can be of several types and variety. It could be a job application, a written application for studying purpose, essays sharing real-life stories, incidents, personal account of a person, autobiography of a renounced person, and several other topics that fall under this category.

These are only a few examples of first-person essays. First-person essays can be written to serve many other purposes as well. A well-known example of the first-person essay is ‘The diary of a young girl’ written by Anne Frank. She was a thirteen-year-old girl who shows the view of World War II and the Jewish people’s suffering.

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Jul 17, 2024

Admissions tips: How to write a graduate admissions essay

An admissions essay is a standard part of the admissions application. To help, we’ve curated our top tips on how to write a standout graduate admissions essay.

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Everyone has a unique narrative, and we firmly believe that your qualifications go beyond what can be captured on your resume. But the question is, how will you distinguish yourself from the competition when applying to Johns Hopkins Carey Business School?

What to consider when writing a graduate school application essay The essay portion of the application is your opportunity to broaden our admissions team’s understanding of your abilities beyond what they can see on your transcript and resume. Writing an essay is your chance to share your unique strengths, personal history, journey of growth, and any additional qualities that show you are a strong candidate.

Preparing to write your essay Prior to starting your essay, read all prompts carefully. Take a moment to reflect on your reasons for pursuing a graduate business degree. It may be beneficial to have a pen and notepad at your disposal for this reflective exercise. Think about your personal journey and pinpoint pivotal moments in your growth and learning, then take note of how those moments have shaped you and your experiences, and how they could help guide you through your business school journey. Be sure to also use the correct formatting and avoid adding lists and bullet points to your essays.

Outline your thoughts Once you have a solid understanding of how to convey your personal journey within the context of the essay prompts, the next step is to construct an outline. As you shape the direction and flow of your essay, always keep your audience in mind. Our admissions team reviews thousands of application essays, so it’s crucial to find a creative hook that will make your story stand out.

Don’t overthink As you begin to write your first draft, allow your ideas to flow freely. Don’t fixate on grammar or finding the perfect words at this stage–simply capture your thoughts on paper. You can refine your essay in the second draft.

Step away After finishing your first draft, set it aside for a day or two before returning to edit it. Revisiting your work with a fresh outlook allows for a new perspective. During this second review, tackle the details of grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary. You might find it helpful to read your essay in reverse order to catch any typos.

Ask for feedback Once you feel your essay is in good shape, it’s highly recommended that you share your draft with an advisor, professor, trusted colleague, friend, or even your recommender. Gaining insights from a trustworthy source can enhance the quality of your essay and assist in identifying any typos or minor adjustments. While editing is an important step, it should not cut out your authentic voice and tone. When identifying a proofreader, make sure to find someone who knows your authentic voice and tone and can edit your paper while still preserving your natural voice and tone.

Finalize and submit You’re almost done! Before finalizing your essay submission, do one last review. Run a spell check and read your essay out loud to yourself. This approach can help you pinpoint areas that might require clarification or fine-tuning. As you review your final draft, be sure that you thoroughly addressed the question on the application.

Keep in mind that the essay portion of the application is your chance to set yourself apart Admissions team members want to hear your authentic voice, with a style that sounds natural and genuine. By sharing your authentic self, and your transformative experiences, passions, goals, and voice, you can leave a lasting impression.

Best of luck with the rest of your application journey!

Upcoming Carey application deadlines

The Fall 2025 Full-time MBA application is now open. Applications for all other Fall 2025 programs will open this fall. Please visit our upcoming deadlines webpage to view all application, decision, and deposit deadlines.

Full-time MBA Fall 2025: Early action application deadline

September 11, 2024

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October 9, 2024

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October 23, 2024

Essays and Short Answer Prompts

The Penn application process includes a personal essay —which is sent to most schools you apply to—as well as a few short answer prompts . We read your words carefully, as they are yet another window into how you think, what you value, and how you see the world. Through your writing, we get a glimpse of what you might bring to our community—including your voice and creativity. 

Remember, you are the expert on your story. This is an opportunity for you to reflect and understand who you are now, and who you want to be in the future. You have the agency to choose the information you want to share. This is your story: your experiences, your ideas, your perspective.   

A Few Writing Tips

• Review the prompts thoroughly.  Be sure you’re answering the question or prompt being asked. Topics are chosen because the Admissions Committee wants to know specific things about you. If you don’t address them directly, we are left to make decisions regarding your application with incomplete information. 
• Consider your response carefully.  We understand that you may be writing responses for different schools and you may want to reuse material, but be sure to read through your response to make sure it is relevant to the prompt. 
• Double-check your writing.  Give yourself time to revisit your response. Try to avoid rushing your writing process so you have time to revise your work. Ultimately, it is up to you to polish and proofread your writing before you submit. 
• Do your research. Are there classes you’re eager to take? Research opportunities you’d love to pursue? A group or club you want to be a part of? This kind of specificity shows us you’re serious about Penn and have thought about how you’d spend your time here. 

2023-24 Short Answer and Essay Prompts

When answering these prompts, be precise when explaining both why you are applying to Penn and why you have chosen to apply to that specific undergraduate school. Some of our specialized programs will have additional essays to complete, but the  Penn short answer prompts should address your single-degree or single-school choice.  

• Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150-200 words, not required for transfer applicants) 
• How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective, and how your experiences and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words) 
• The school-specific prompt is unique to the school to which you are applying. (For example, all applicants applying to the College of Arts and Sciences will respond to the prompt under the “College of Arts and Sciences” section). Considering the undergraduate school you have selected for your single-degree option, please respond to your school-specific prompt below.  

Transfer Essay (required for all transfer applicants): Please explain your reasons for transferring from your current institution and what you hope to gain by transferring to another institution. (4150 characters) 

Undergraduate School-Specific Short Answer Prompts

For students applying to coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer this question about your single-degree school choice; your interest in the coordinated dual-degree or specialized program may be addressed through the program-specific essay.  

Penn Nursing intends to meet the health needs of society in a global and multicultural world by preparing its students to impact healthcare by advancing science and promoting equity. What do you think this means for the future of nursing, and how do you see yourself contributing to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare? (150-200 words) 

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about  Penn Nursing’s mission and how we promote equity in healthcare . This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of our values and how they align with your own goals and aspirations. 

The flexible structure of The College of Arts and Sciences’ curriculum is designed to inspire exploration, foster connections, and help you create a path of study through general education courses and a major. What are you curious about and how would you take advantage of opportunities in the arts and sciences? (150-200 words) 

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about the  academic offerings within the College of Arts and Sciences .  This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of how the study of the liberal arts aligns with your own goals and aspirations. 

Wharton prepares its students to make an impact by applying business methods and economic theory to real-world problems, including economic, political, and social issues.  Please reflect on a current issue of importance to you and share how you hope a Wharton education would help you to explore it.  (150-200 words) 

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about  the foundations of a Wharton education . This information will help you better understand what you could learn by studying at Wharton and what you could do afterward. 

Penn Engineering prepares its students to become leaders in technology, by combining a strong foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics, exploration in the liberal arts, and depth of study in focused disciplinary majors. Please share how you hope to explore your engineering interests at Penn. (150-200 words) 

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about  Penn Engineering and its mission to prepare students for global leadership in technology . This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of academic pathways within Penn Engineering and how they align with your goals and interests. 

Coordinated Dual Degree and Specialized Program Essay Prompts

For students applying to coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer the program-specific essay below. 

** Numbers marked with double asterisks indicate a character count that only applies to transfer students applying through Common App.  

Why are you interested in the Digital Media Design (DMD) program at the University of Pennsylvania? (400-650 words / 3575 characters**) 

We encourage you to learn more about the DMD: Digital Media Design Program . 

The Huntsman Program supports the development of globally minded scholars who become engaged citizens, creative innovators, and ethical leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors in the United States and internationally. What draws you to a dual-degree program in business and international studies, and how would you use what you learn to contribute to a global issue where business and international affairs intersect? (400-650 words) 

The LSM program aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the life sciences and their management with an eye to identifying, advancing, and implementing innovations. What issues would you want to address using the understanding gained from such a program? Note that this essay should be distinct from your single degree essay. (400-650 words) 

• Explain how you will use the M&T program to explore your interest in business, engineering, and the intersection of the two. (400-650 words) 
• Describe a problem that you solved that showed leadership and creativity. (250 words) 

Describe your interests in modern networked information systems and technologies, such as the internet, and their impact on society, whether in terms of economics, communication, or the creation of beneficial content for society. Feel free to draw on examples from your own experiences as a user, developer, or student of technology. (400-650 words / 3575 characters**) 

Discuss your interest in nursing and health care management. How might Penn's coordinated dual-degree program in nursing and business help you meet your goals? (400-650 words) 

How do you envision your participation in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER) furthering your interests in energy science and technology? Please include any past experiences (ex. academic, research, or extracurricular) that have led to your interest in the program. Additionally, please indicate why you are interested in pursuing dual degrees in science and engineering and which VIPER majors are most interesting to you at this time. (400-650 words) 

How to Create a Meaningful Interaction on a First Date

When getting to know someone, people can be hesitant to show their true selves..

Posted July 30, 2024 | Reviewed by Monica Vilhauer

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• Many will limit their initial communications to something superficial.
• Genuine interest in someone will reveal itself by the types of questions being asked.
• People who feel welcomed and that they matter often show more genuine interest in return.

People usually communicate in layers of increasing openness . As they feel more trusting of another, they share more of who they are. When people have known each other for a long time and their trust in one another has grown, they are more likely to share more vulnerable experiences. But when they are just getting to know each other, they are understandably reticent to risk their more vulnerable selves.

Because of this understandable hesitancy, many people limit their initial communication to superficial and safe statements until trust has been established. Sadly, the time it takes for those interactions to be more authentic may be too long, ending many relationships that might have had potential.

So many people have asked me if there was a way to know a person more deeply in a short period of time without unknowingly violating boundaries . What subjects are reasonable to inquire about and which might be inappropriate? How can you know if the other person is welcoming of your interest?

It all depends on the mindset of the inquirer. If that person’s goal is to see if the other meets a preset qualification list, they will essentially be conducting an emotional job interview. That falls into the category of “vetting” someone.

If, on the other hand, they are genuinely interested in the other person and would just like to know them better, they will show that attitude by the types of questions they ask and the observations they make.

The difference between vetting questions and genuine interest in another is that the answers to vetting questions are purely for the comfort of the person doing the asking, and do not consider the experiences or needs of the other. Statements of genuine interest are not bound by the need for a future commitment because the enjoyment of the moment is what is more important. There is no sense of potential entrapment or unwelcome vulnerability.

Here are examples of "vetting" questions and observations:

“Are you interested in a long-term relationship?”

“How do you feel about having children in your life?”

“Do you expect your partner to pay their own way?”

“Are you looking for a relationship or just fishing?”

“Are you seeing other people?”

“What are you looking for in a partner?”

“Is there anything I should know about you that would help me predict how you’re going to act in a relationship?”

Here are examples that show genuine interest:

“I’d love to know more about what you enjoy most in life.”

“You have such an easy way about you. Have you always been this way?”

“What do you treasure in the people you care about?”

“If you’re comfortable sharing, I’d be so interested in any experiences you’ve had that have been truly meaningful to you.”

“How did you come to be you?”

“Tell me some things that make you laugh.”

“If you were to describe yourself in ten words, what would they be?

When I’ve guided people as to the difference between vetting and genuine interest, they report to me that they not only enjoy themselves better in the latter interactions but that those on the other end are more receptive to continuing the relationship. They feel welcomed and that they matter, often showing more genuine interest in return.

The following 5 steps will show you how to master this type of interaction:

1. Approach each new dating interaction as an adventure, as if you were visiting a place you’ve never been before. You would be there to learn, not to conquer or control. You’d want to know the customs and behaviors of the people there and be certain not to intrude or offend, and it’s okay if you stay an hour or a lifetime. Your stance would be open and interested without needing to pry. What comes is what comes and you do not have an intent to make it any different than it is.

2. Watch for non-verbal cues. They make up more than ninety percent of all communication. Physical posturing and distance, facial expressions, voice intonation, and timing can tell you a lot about who a person is. Your aim is to “emotionally dance,” so you need to match the rhythm of the person on the other end of you.

If you are nervous and the conversation is moving a little too fast for you, ask the other person to please slow down because you don’t want to miss what they are saying. If it is too slow, ask them if you are talking too fast for them. It’s all about non-judgmental readjusting.

3. Show the person you’re with that you are sincerely interested. Even if you are never going to be with them again, make sure the experience they have with you leaves them feeling welcome and supported, just like having a person at your home for dinner who is from a different country. Hospitality doesn’t cost anything and most often pays off in emotional dividends.

4. Ask them if there is anything they would like to know about you and that you’d be glad to answer honestly if you can do so without compromising your own comfort or integrity. Most people are respectful if you tell them that you’d rather know them better before you share that part of yourself.

5. Graciously end the interaction thanking them for the time you’ve spent together. If you don’t want to continue, just be honest. “I’ve had a great time but am into meeting a lot of new people right now before I get more involved.” If they don’t make further plans, tell them that you truly wish them a wonderful life and mean it.

Randi Gunther, Ph.D. , is a clinical psychologist and marriage counselor in Southern California.

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Sticking up for yourself is no easy task. But there are concrete skills you can use to hone your assertiveness and advocate for yourself.

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Scabbard: An Exploration Of Writing A Fiction Novel Using First Person Narrative

LIT REVIEW Considering the title of my project: ‘Scabbard’- an exploration of writing a fiction novel using first person narrative, concentrating on developing the character of the protagonist, it was clear to me that there should be two different areas of research sources; one designed to develop the writing style of the story, and another set aimed at exploring in detail the cause for my protagonist’s personality. Firstly, in order to improve the confidence in my writing I read books that I believed were similar in writing style or had some element that I wanted to take inspiration from when writing my story. These were Of Mice and men, Filth, to a lesser extent Trainspotting. Of Mice and Men As already mentioned in my appraisal of writing …show more content…

I chose this book because it is one I happened to have studied in great detail for English Language at GCSE, but more than that it is a book that has resonated with me since the day I read it. However, it is a source only relevant to my own story by way of poetic, evocative descriptions of settings. Before I began writing my story I knew it would be very different for several reasons. Firstly from the start I knew I wanted my story to be a novel, thus made up of at least 40,000 words. The reason for this is due to the various dramatic elements in the plot that I believe, in order not to come across as being over the top, should be staggered within the length of a novel. This isn’t to say I would deliberately pad the book out with irrelevant sections; I would have space and length to build up detailed and multifaceted personalities that the reader can appreciate, thus fulfilling the major aim of my proposal. By comparison, at 29,160 words, Of Mice and Men fits squarely into the bracket of a Novella. This is reflected in the characters; they are not deeply developed but instead are presented as metaphors for the types of people trapped in the American Dream - the main focus of the novel. Secondly Of

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