Use of Personal Pronouns in Academic Writing
SUBMITTED BY: SHEHNAZ AKHTAR
SUBMITTED TO: MUHAMMAD ISLAM
CMS: 405314
Use of Personal Pronouns in Academic Writing:
Some points in favor of Personal pronouns
1. Personal pronouns are used to replace people, places or things to make sentence shorter
and clear.
2. In many academic writings the use of personal pronouns is not encouraged. The use of
personal pronouns shows the writer’s identity and presence.
3. Most academic writing is written in third person pronouns.
Some Points against the Personal Pronoun
1. In an article has been written that use of personal pronouns shows too much authority and
commitment.
2. Another possible reason given is ohta’s (1991) suggestion that the use of first person
pronouns is largely unaccepted in Asia cultures where collective identity is more values
than individuality.
3. First person is used to write stories about personal experiences from your own life.
4. We can use personal pronoun but not extra.
5. The use of personal pronouns in particular the use of I and We are often believed to be
contrary to the requirements of objectivity and formality in academic writing.
6. Personal pronouns represent people or things: I came to see him.
7. Indeed, Tang and John (1991) and Hyland (2002) have shown there is a continuum of usage
which is not systemic and that student writers do use personal pronouns but in different
ways to expert writers.
8. Statement like “I believe” or “I think” tend to weaken writing. For example, “The U.S
government needs to pass this law” is better than “I believe the U.S government needs to
pass this law.