Day 287: Use the first person in objective writing to describe processes.

Many professors claim that students should not use the first person in objective and/or scientific writing. But this is wrong. As we saw previously, the problem is not using the first person (e.g., we, I, us, our). The problem is that opinions are not appropriate. As long as we avoid opinions, we can use the first person.

The most obvious time to use the first person is when you are describing processes, i.e., when you are describing what you did. Consider this sentence, which avoids the first person.

“The researchers and authors of this report dissolved the molecular bonds.”

Readers of this report know who are the “researchers and authors of this report.” This phrase provides unnecessary information. More importantly, this sentence does not state an opinion; it describes a process, an action by the “researchers and authors of this report.”

The original sentence faithfully adheres to a mistaken “rule,” and it sounds fancy and formal. Actually, though, it is pretentious and laden with unnecessary information. Both problems are solved by using the first person when describing a process.

“We dissolved the molecular bonds.”