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Should You Avoid Using the First Person in Academic Writing? (If so, how?) | Page 2

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Instructions

Based on this lesson, determine whether or not each sentence must be revised to avoid the first person (I, me, my, we, us, etc.) and the second person (you, your, yours) in academic writing. Use the space provided to revise the sentence if needed. There may be multiple ways to rewrite a sentence.

Example 1

Sentence: I believe gun control legislation is a very controversial issue.

Revision: Gun control legislation is a very controversial issue.

Example 2

Sentence: Before turning in your written work, it is important for you to revise your final drafts carefully.

Revision: Before turning in written work, it is important to review final drafts carefully.

When you are finished, click “Answer.”

Note. Your answers will not be submitted. When you leave this page, they will be deleted.

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Ready? Let’s get started.

1. As a student in this course, you must complete all of your assignments on time.

Your Sentence:

Students in this course must complete all assignments on time.

All assignments must be completed on time.

2. As an employee at our company, you must complete yearly training so that you can stay up-to-date with industry standards and regulations.

Your Sentence:

Company employees must complete yearly training in order to stay up-to-date with industry standards and regulations.

Company employees must complete yearly training so that they stay up-to-date with…

3. I believe that only a liberal-arts education can give you a broad, well-rounded foundation of knowledge across a range of disciplines.

Your Sentence:

Only a liberal arts education can provide a broad, well-rounded foundation of knowledge across a range of disciplines.

It is believed that only a liberal arts education can provide students a broad…

It is widely believed that…

It is (widely) known that…

4. As a doctor, you must create a rapport with your patients to establish trust and open communication.

Your Sentence:

Doctors must create a rapport with their patients to establish trust and open communication.

5. I am convinced that we can only solve this issue if we pass strict federal regulations.

Your Sentence:

It is evident that passing federal regulation is the only solution to this issue.

Undoubtedly, the only solution to this issue is to pass strict federal regulations.

Undoubtedly, this issue can only be solved by passing strict federal regulation.

6. You can see in Figure 1 that the majority of participants who completed our poll disagreed with the statement.

Your Sentence:

According to Figure 1, the majority of poll participants disagreed with the statement.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the majority of participants taking the poll disagreed with the statement.

The majority of poll participants disagreed with the statement (Figure 1).

7. According to my interpretation of the article, the author suggests that capital punishment is inhumane.

Your Sentence:

In the article, the author suggests that capital punishment is inhumane.

The article’s author suggests that capital punishment…

In the article, the author seems to suggest that capital punishment…

8. I am certain that Paulo Freire’s ideas are relevant to us in the United States because our students face similar issues to those faced by children in his native Brazil.

Your Sentence:

Paulo Freire’s ideas are relevant to educators in the United States because their students face similar issues to those faced by children in his native Brazil.

Paulo Freire’s ideas are relevant to American teachers because their students face similar issues…

9. It seems to me that by adopting Freire’s ideas, we can create more inclusive and equitable classrooms in the United States.

Your Sentence:

By adopting Freire’s ideas, educators can create more inclusive and equitable classrooms in the United States.

By adopting Freire’s ideas, American educators can create more inclusive and equitable classrooms.

By adopting Freire’s ideas, educators should be able to create more inclusive and equitable classrooms in the United States.

10. In this essay, I will argue that foreign language instruction should start in elementary school in the United States.

Your Sentence:

Foreign language instruction should start in elementary school in the United States.

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