Writing Tips | Avoiding Personal Pronouns in Academic Writing

Writing Tips

• How to avoid personal pronouns in writing
• How to avoid personal language in writing

What is personal language?

When writing academically, it is important to use third-person language and to avoid using first or second-person pronouns like "I" or "you." Personal language can make your argument seem less objective and can weaken the impact of your writing.

Personal language examples

• In my opinion...
• I think...
• I feel...
• It seems to me...
• I believe...
• I conclude...

The best way of avoiding personal pronouns in academic writing

• Use the passive voice
• Use nouns instead of pronouns
• Refer to yourself by name
• Use "one" instead of "you" or "I"
• Use impersonal constructions such as "it is important to note that" rather than "I think that"

H to avoid using personal pronouns in academic writing.

Perhaps the most straightforward way is to use the passive voice.

For example, rather than writing,

"I analyzed the data,"

you could write,

"The data were analyzed."

Another way to avoid personal pronouns is to use nouns instead of pronouns.

So, rather than writing,

"I did this research in order to understand more about X,"

you could write,

"This research was undertaken in order to gain a greater understanding of X."

It is also possible to use impersonal constructions such as,

"it is possible that" or "it seems that"

These constructions are often used in academic writing, and they can help to create a more objective tone.

Why should you avoid using personal language in your academic writing?

There are various reasons, but overall it is because academic writing is normally considered to be objective and therefore avoids the use of personal pronouns such as ‘I’ and ‘we’ (although there are some exceptions).

In general your writing should focus on what the data, evidence or literature says, and not so much on what you think of it, but what can be derived from the data by analysis, examination or investigation.

How to avoid personal pronouns

So how can you avoid using common personal language expressions such as:

• "I think that..." or "I believe that..."?

One way is to become good at recognizing when you should use the ‘passive’ verb structures instead of ‘active’ to describe something.

Look at the example below:

Active: The technician loaded the samples into the container.

In the sentence above, the emphasis is on who (the technician) did the action (loaded the samples).

Passive: The samples were loaded into the container.

In the second sentence, the emphasis is on what happened (what was done) to the samples and not who did it. It is not always necessary to mention who did the action.

What are examples of personal judgment words?

Personal judgment examples include:

• "I think"
• "I feel"
• "in my opinion"
• "to me"
• "In my experience"
• "It seems to me"

These phrases are commonly used in everyday speech, and there's no harm in using them occasionally in writing.

However, overusing them can make your writing sound unsophisticated and immature.

If you find yourself using these phrases too often, try to find other ways to express your opinion or point of view.

These words can be used when writing your opinion or giving your perspective on something. However, use them sparingly in academic or professional writing.

When using personal judgment words, it is important to provide evidence to support your claims. Otherwise, your argument may not be as convincing.

If you can, try to avoid using personal judgment words altogether. Instead, state your claims directly and back them up with evidence.

This will make your writing sound more objective and authoritative.

Examples:

Instead of writing

"I believe" or "I think"

you can use phrases such as

"the evidence shows" or "research suggests"

Instead of writing

"I think the novel is brilliant"

you could say

"The novel is a masterpiece"

Instead of writing

"To me, the protagonist is very relatable,"

you could say

"The protagonist is very relatable."

Instead of writing

"I believe the ending was a bit rushed"

you could say

"The ending felt a bit rushed"

10 more examples of impersonal judgement phrases

1. The data indicates
2. The trend appears to be
3. It seems that
4. There is evidence that
5. According to research
6. Studies have found that
7. Experts suggest that
8. In most cases
9. On average

When you are writing academically or professionally, the aim is to sound objective and authoritative.

Using personal pronouns such as "I" can make your argument sound less convincing.

Here are some more alternatives to help you avoid using personal language of judgement in your academic writing.

"I think..." alternatives

There are also various standard expressions which you can substitute instead of "I think..." which will make your academic writing more formal and objective, based on the evidence or data you are dealing with, and based less on your personal opinion.

Examples of how to avoid writing "I think..."

Use strong adjectives to express your opinion

• "The novel is phenomenal, the ending was atrocious, the character is unsympathetic."

Use specific evidence from the text to support your point

• "The author's use of figurative language creates a sense of foreboding.?"
• "The protagonist's choices show his lack of moral compass."

Use a "hedge" to express your opinion

• "The ending was a bit rushed."
• "It seems to me that the character is unsympathetic."

Use modals to express your opinion

• "The ending could have been better."
• "The character might be unsympathetic."

Use phrases like "in my opinion" or "overall, ... seems..."

• "In my opinion, the ending was a bit rushed."
• "Overall, the character seems unsympathetic."

NOTE: In many fields of study this impersonal, impartial style of writing is normal; however, in certain areas the use of the personal pronoun 'I' is used in academic English to express personal opinion and in some cases even preferred.

In qualitative research, especially in fields like psychology and sociology, using 'I' is important for sharing personal insights.

When discussing fieldwork experiences, an academic might say,

"I observed that..."

to share personal observations.

Similarly, in philosophical or argumentative papers, using 'I' to express opinions is common, like saying,

"I argue that..." or "I believe the evidence suggests...".

This use of the first person can clarify the source of an argument or opinion, making the writing more transparent and engaging.

Make sure you are aware of the style requirements for your particular field of study/department before writing your paper/essay.

FAQ

How to avoid using I in writing?

"I" is a very common pronoun in the English language, and it can be easy to overuse it in your writing.

When you use I too much, it can make your writing sound overly personal or even egotistical. In order to avoid using I too much in your writing, try to use other pronouns like you, they, or we.

Also, try to focus on the other people or things in your story instead of making everything about you. By doing this, you'll create a more well-rounded and interesting piece of writing.

How to avoid personal pronouns?

There are a few ways to avoid personal pronouns in your writing.

Use a third-person point of view. This means avoiding words like "I," "me," and "you" altogether.

Use gender-neutral language. This means using words like "they" instead of "he" or "she."

By avoiding personal pronouns, you can make your writing sound more objective and professional.

What are some words to avoid in academic writing?

Some words to avoid in academic writing are: informal, contractions, first-person pronouns, and slang. While these words may be perfectly fine in other types of writing, they can make your academic writing sound unprofessional or sloppy. If you want to maintain a clear, concise, and professional tone in your work, it's best to steer clear of these types of words.

What should you avoid in academic writing?

In academic writing, it is important to avoid using informal language. This includes contractions, such as "don't" or "can't", as well as slang and colloquialisms. Additionally, academic writing should be objective and factual, so avoid using first person pronouns like "I" or "we". Finally, avoid using biased or emotional language.

What to use instead of we in academic writing?

In academic writing, it is often recommended to avoid using "we" to maintain a formal and objective tone.

Instead, you can use passive voice constructions or refer to specific groups or studies to convey your point.

For example, instead of saying,

"We conducted an experiment to test...",

you might say,

"The experiment was conducted to test..."

Alternatively, you could attribute actions to specific groups or researchers, saying something like,

"The research team conducted an experiment to test..."

This approach not only increases the formality of your writing but also clarifies the source or subject of your statements, making your writing more precise and authoritative.

What to use instead of personal pronouns in an essay?

In essays, instead of using personal pronouns like "I," "you," or "we," you can use terms like "one," or rephrase sentences to focus on the subject rather than the writer.

Below is an example of how to avoid using I in an essay

Instead of saying,

"I believe that recycling is important,"

you could say,

"Recycling is considered important for environmental conservation."

This way, your writing stays objective and focuses on facts rather than personal opinion.

Another technique is to use the passive voice where appropriate.

For example,

"The study was carried out"

instead of

"We carried out the study."

This keeps the writing formal and focused on the topic.

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