URGENT Q regarding English essays (1 Viewer)

[imqt]

hey i know this shouldnt be in this thread, but i need it answer quickly

if you are given a question like this:


How has your perception of

Transformations been illuminated by your comparative study of the prescribed texts?

do we use first person in our essay? or third?



i just dont feel comfortable using 'I' in an essay?


thanks in advance​

​

 

[henry08]

First. It akss for YOU"RE, hence use 'my', 'this text has helped me' etc.

 

[Rhanoct]

You can use the first person but you come across as more sophisticated if you don't.

 

[imqt]

You can use the first person but you come across as more sophisticated if you don't.

so you recommend third?


but it will be difficult addressing the question

 

[veloc1ty]

I've never understood why people think first-person is less "sophisticated". It's how your ideas are expressed and supported that matters, and if you make it personal by using first-person it's more impressive and original (when done right).

 

[runnable]

You can address the question like this:

The comparative study of ***** has enlightened readers....

 

[imqt]

First. It akss for YOU"RE, hence use 'my', 'this text has helped me' etc.

or if we could use third as say, 'this text has enabled one to...' or ' ones perceptions has been.." ?

 

[imqt]

You can address the question like this:

The comparative study of ***** has enlightened readers....

yeh thats what i was thinking of doing...just unsure what everyone else will do.

 

[Rhanoct]

I've never understood why people think first-person is less "sophisticated". It's how your ideas are expressed and supported that matters, and if you make it personal by using first-person it's more impressive and original (when done right).

It's just what I've been told by my teachers. I use first person in my ModB (and, sometimes, in C) only because I hate having to mess around with syntax to make it 3rd person. Either way works, do whatever you're more comfortable with.

 

[runnable]

yeh thats what i was thinking of doing...just unsure what everyone else will do.

Thats what I would do if confronted. I think that will lead to a more sophisticated answer overall, instead of going "me" and "I" all the time.

 

[Katie-Anne207]

We were taught that even if the question asked for YOUR understanding etc, to flip it to the reader or the audiences understanding... i really does make it more sophisticated...

 

[m00]

you can use pronouns such as 'we' but never never ever use 'I'

 

[imqt]

thanks guys! yh im going to be using third person unless they specifically ask for a speech ofcourse

 

[imqt]

you can use pronouns such as 'we' but never never ever use 'I'

yh i use 'we' in third person occassionally

 

[AkaiHanabi]

Recently, the BOS has been pushing for essays with a stronger sense of personal voice. Using I and my doesn't mean your response will be unsophisticated, as long as you use sophisticated phrases eg. "From my analysis..." You don't need to repeat the pronouns all the time, use them sparingly.

 

[veloc1ty]

It's just what I've been told by my teachers.

That's interesting, because I specifically asked one of my teachers about 1st/3rd person and he said in the past it was severely frowned upon but markers love it now if you can use it to show your personal understanding.

But as you say, each to their own. If people want to be safe and generic with third-person, that's fine.

 

[danz90]

Thats what I would do if confronted. I think that will lead to a more sophisticated answer overall, instead of going "me" and "I" all the time.

well it makes sense.. if you're saying enhances readers perception that.. bla bla

then you are implying to the marker that, that is what u have interpreted yourself from the text.

it is indeed a more sophisticated way of revealing your personal response.

 

[xeuyrawp]

I've never understood why people think first-person is less "sophisticated". It's how your ideas are expressed and supported that matters, and if you make it personal by using first-person it's more impressive and original (when done right).

Basically it comes from the fact that essays are supposed to be scientific, and there is no you, me, we, etc in science - the agents outside of what we're studying are unimportant. These people are reserved for narratives, where "I" and other pronouns features heavily.

^ That is the traditional argument, to which I don't subscribe. I've written peer-reviewed academic pieces, and noone's ever had a problem with the first-person singular pronoun, if it's used sparingly and appropriately. Saying some things (eg "I think" without qualification) can be a trap anyway.

you can use pronouns such as 'we' but never never ever use 'I'

That's odd; the only difference between "we" and "I" is the plurality.

The reason why some people claim that you should stay away from "I" is because it's part of a list of personal agents which are unscientific - people who both shouldn't be in a paper because it's not about them, and because the reader doesn't care.

If you say that you can't use "I" (which you are), you are limited exclusively to the third-person pronouns "it", "he", "she", "they", and their accusative and possessive counterparts.

 

[Patar]

I used first person very sparingly in this latest exam

only because a couple of top-scorers I know tend to use them... including someone who got 100% all year at our school

thats not easy at Gosford High.

so, I took a leaf out of their book, "this encouraged me to appreciate..." or "this enabled me to realise..."

 

[m00]

I dont understand how you can use 'I' and 'we' in the same essay, I jsut think its better if you stick to one of them

are you gonna say 'we' and then make a point and then use 'I' and make a point?
seriously it ruins your argument doesnt it?