engl101(5)

Essay 2: Writing to Inform
Using any or all of the 3 article databases in the APUS Online Library (Proquest, EBSCO, and/or the LexisNexis) research the topic you have chosen in Week 3, and write an essay in which you inform the reader about the topic. Do not, however, write the essay in the first person. Instead, write in the third person—i.e., “Astronomy is an innately interesting field of study,” not “I am extremely interested in astronomy.”

We generally use third person exclusively in academic or scholarly writing, unless we are specifically directed to use first person. In Essay #2, you will need to be aware of what person you are in, and take out first and second person. Here is an example:

I love my country because it represents liberty and justice. This is first person. You do not want to write this in academic writing unless you are directed to write in first person.

You love your country because it represents liberty and justice. This is second person. You do not want to write this in academic writing unless you are allowed to use second person.

Americans love their country because it represents liberty and justice. This is third person. This is the preferred voice for academic writing.

Third person lends authority to your writing. Look at the difference between these two sentences: