Using first, second and third person voice

First, second and third person, and impersonal voice are the perspectives or points of view of your writing. Different perspectives are appropriate for different types of writing.

First person

‘First person’ is when you are writing from your own point of view (as an individual or part of a group), using I, we, my and our:

First-person singular (I) is usually direct, personal and informal. Using the first person encourages the use of the active voice, making clear whose actions, beliefs and ideas are being described.

First person is most commonly used in:

• personal correspondence
• communications materials
• autobiographies.

First-person plural (we) is often used to express the opinion of a group or to include the audience in the writer’s perspective. It may be used in business or government writing to express the corporate view.

In the past, first person was not used in business, government or academic writing. But it is increasingly accepted – and indeed encouraged – because it personalises content and makes it clear who is speaking or acting.

Second person

‘Second person’ is when you address the audience directly, using you and your:

Second person is direct, personal and informal, and is often a good way to talk with and engage audiences. Addressing the audience directly can also help you to concentrate on what the reader wants to know rather than what you want to say.

Second person is most commonly used in:

• advertising
• other marketing material
• instructions.

Third person

‘Third person’ is when you write from the point of view of an observer, using he (his, him), she (her), it (its), they (their, them), or the name of the actor in the sentence:

Third-person writing is detached from both the writer and readers. It is impersonal even when it refers to people. It can give the impression of being more authoritative and objective than first- or second-person writing.

Third person is most commonly used in:

• reports
• essays
• journalism.

Impersonal

The impersonal voice comes across in writing that avoids referring to the people involved. An impersonal voice is created when neither the writer nor the reader(s) are mentioned by first- or second-person pronouns in the text. The only pronouns used are it, they, their and them:

An impersonal voice is used in formal writing, and can be seen as more professional and objective.

The impersonal is most commonly used in:

• journal articles
• government reports
• policies.

The impersonal voice has traditionally been used in academic and government writing, but this is shifting.

Moving away from the impersonal

The impersonal voice, which never refers to the writer or reader, has been preferred in formal writing – especially in academic and government fields – because it was considered more professional and objective.

However, this approach is now declining in favour of putting the participants back in, in either the first or third person:

In science and other academic areas, the use of an impersonal voice and passive constructions takes the researcher out of the process; this was standard in scientific writing. However, the first-person active voice is now increasingly common:

Most academic journals now accept, and even prefer, first-person active constructions:

A typical research report or journal article uses a mixture of the first person and impersonal constructions. First person works well for things that are specific to the activity (e.g. personnel, equipment, locations, techniques), and impersonal works well for the objective results (outcomes that should not depend on who did what):

Benefits of not using an impersonal voice

Use of first person often avoids ambiguity about who did what, especially when the document refers to the authors’ own work as well as that of others:

Using a first-person active construction also removes confusion associated with broad claims and statements:

Because use of impersonal voice and passive constructions removes the actor, such language can be used to avoid taking responsibility for messages that are unlikely to be received well:

Government and other bureaucratic writing is moving away from the impersonal voice to add the actor back in, using either first or third person:

A common area where the impersonal voice is unhelpful is writing recommendations. The impersonal voice is sometimes used because no-one has decided who will actually do what or because the writer does not want to indicate responsibility for an action.  However, recommendations written in this way are unlikely to be implemented, and it is always better to indicate who is responsible:

See Balancing active and passive voice for more information on avoiding impersonal constructions, and Using abstract nouns and avoiding indirect constructions for further strengthening your writing.