The Writing Spectrum
You’ve probably had several English teachers who told you to never
write “I” or “you” in your paper. They said to avoid slang and jargon. But
did they ever tell you why?
The Why of “I”
All writing falls somewhere along the Writing Spectrum, which stretches
from casual writing to formal.
At the extreme casual end, no rules exist. Think of graffiti, pop music
lyrics, and notes scribbled to yourself in your own personal code. Even
meaning can often be anything you want. The purpose of extremely casual
writing is usually self-expression.
Around point 2, sentences begin to resemble what is usually considered
writing. Think of exploratory freewrites or email between friends, written
in all lower case and with little attention to punctuation, spelling and other
conventions.
Beginning around the center of the continuum, basic conventions apply,
but plenty of space for stylistic choice and poetic license remains. Think of
personal narratives that would sound awkward without using first person.
Using third person to refer to one’s self often sounds conceited or just plain
strange. (“Bob doesn’t like this show!” Bob said.)
The purpose of semi-formal or semi-formal writing is most often to
inform, persuade or entertain. It often includes more descriptive details
that other writing.
At the formal end, rules are rigidly enforced. Think of professional
Formal
Casual
1 2 3 4 5
No Rules Rules
52 The Art & Craft of Writing journal articles and several of the textbooks you’ve been forced to read.
Objectivity is one of the most prominent of these rules. Objectivity
means removing everything subjective (having to do with the “subject,” or
person) such as feelings, opinions, and all reminders that the author even
exists. The idea is that by avoiding first person (“I”, “we”) and removing
appearances of personal judgment, then all that would remain would be
cold, hard, indisputable facts.
Of course it is now widely recognized that such complete objectivity is
impossible to achieve. The very fact that an author chooses a particular
topic and explores specific aspects of it injects subjectivity into the paper.
Nevertheless, the rule remains that formal papers avoid objectivity as
much as possible. That is why you “never use ‘I’ or ‘you’ in a paper.”
The purpose of formal writing is most often to inform.
Where writing falls on the writing spectrum depends on purpose and
audience (What does the audience expect? What will be most effective at
the purpose?), and determines basic stylistic choices.
Impersonal You
“You” creates enough of its own problems that it deserves special
attention. In vernacular (common speech), “you” is a vague generality
that often refers to no one in particular. Kind of like “they” who we keep
hearing about. “You know what they say about….” Who are “they”?
Nobody. Just them.
It’s no wonder your teachers have asked you to avoid using second
person (“you”) in your papers and be more specific. Formal papers always
eschew “you” in favor of the more objective third person (“he”, “she”,
“they”, “it”, “teachers”, “citizens”, “athletes”, etc.).
If you clearly define your audience, however, speaking directly to
them can sometimes turn out rather effective. This book, for example,
often writes directly to you - the aspiring writer (or reluctant student,
and everyone else in between). It’s written around point 4 of the writing
spectrum, hoping to make reading more interesting and interactive, which
might keep your attention longer and help you learn more effectively.
Notice that I rarely use first person (“I”), however. What for? This book
is about writing and you. Talking about myself would distract from the
purpose. Despite the lack of first person, though, you still get some sense
of who I am (“voice,” to be discussed later). You may already know that
I’m passionate about writing, teaching, learning, effective communication,
climbing, sailing and several other things that will appear later in the text.
Another common, common, common problem with “you” happens
when an author says “I think” or its many variations including “I believe,”
“In my opinion,” etc. In the first place, these phrases are redundant. Of
course you think that! Why else would you have written it??
In the second place, by adding such phrases, you remind your readers
that it’s only your opinion, and this reminder weakens your assertions
dramatically. How can that be good for your purpose? Admittedly, instances
Purpose & Audience 53
do exist where stating “I think” would be appropriate and helpful, but your
chances of coming across such a situation in one of your papers are slim to
none. Just say no to “I think.”
If you’re writing for class, you should probably check on the opinion of
your primary audience (instructor) before writing a casual paper, regardless
of what you think your alleged audience would benefit from most. Don’t
be afraid to try to persuade your instructor to see things your way, though.
Read on about purpose and audience to build your case more convincingly.