FORMAL WRITING AND THIRD PERSON

TODAY’S GOAL Your goal is to kick yourself, yes, you, out of your writing. Oh, and I shouldn’t be in there either. Focus on the third person.

WHAT IS FORMAL WRITING?Formal writing refers to a particular style of

expression.

Essays, reports, presentations and research papers

are just some examples of

documents written in the academic, or

formal, style.

Formal writing, when used appropriately, presents a polished

and professional image.

Good strong writing must include:• Logical, expected

organization• Excellent grammar • A consistent stylistic

approach• A formal tone• Use of the third-person

rather than first-person perspective• Clear focus on the issue or

topic rather than the author’s opinion • Precise word choice.

IT IS A LEARNED SKILL … AND

Academic writing is formal writing. Many novice writers have

trouble telling informal writing apart from

formal writing. They resort to informal writing, since it’s easier and more

familiar.

Don’t do this.

Informal writing:

I think he’s a loser.

This statement is informal. The writer speaks in the first person, using

the word “I”, and states an opinion. The slang term “loser”, is used, which is

inappropriate in a formal context. They also uses the contraction “he’s”. The main issue is clarity: It’s

impossible to know whether the writer thinks his best friend, his dog, or a rock star is a loser! If this were in the middle of a paragraph, it may be easier to understand to whom the author is referring.

Informal writing:

I think he’s a loser.

Formal writing:

Macbeth’s horrific choices cause him to lose everything he holds dear:

children, wife, friends, crown and king.

The second example uses an academic, formal style.

Written in the third-person, the sentence omits references to the writer and focuses on the issue.

Strong, specific adjectives like “horrific” convey the author’s view clearly without resorting to slang.

The use of the colon creates a strong, formal feel when properly used here to introduce a list.

Formal writing:

Macbeth’s horrific choices cause him to lose everything he holds dear: children, wife,

friends, crown and king.

REMEMBER THIS?

It is time for the perfecting to begin.

SENTENCE PRACTICE1. If we don’t do something soon, we won’t be able to stop global

warming before it’s too late.

2. In life, you may find one thing that really drives you nuts. 

3. When the semester starts, you just have to buckle down and do your best.

4. I believe that we all should have access to our constitutional rights. I’m sure that the founding fathers wouldn’t approve of the Patriot Act. I love it when Langston Hughes says in his poem, “Let America Be America Again” that America “never was the land of the free.”

5. When your close friend has messed up on a test, you feel bad for him because you’ve been there yourself.

6. We shouldn’t kid ourselves about how difficult it will be to recover from our national deficit.

NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE SENTENCE PERFECTED (OR ARE, AT LEAST, WORKING ON IT), LET’S TRY A PARAGRAPH.

Ever been working on an important, stressful assignment at home and then suddenly you find yourself on Facebook or jamming to your favorite songs? We all know what happens next, you look at the clock and realize how much time you have wasted and start back on the assignment, or you get scolded by a parent or guardian for being so easily distracted and you resume working on the assignment. Either way, it seems like you are getting the bad end of the stick; however goofing off was actually a positive thing you did.

NOW LET’S DO IT ONE MORE TIME. (THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO INCORPORATE PERSONAL STORIES IN FORMAL WRITING.)

For the first time in my life, I had to move out of my parents’ house and onto the college campus. I immediately had to decide whether I wanted to live in a dorm setting or an apartment setting. You can see benefits to both, but I think the dorms are better. In the dorms we have a better opportunity for social interaction while we are adjusting to college. We also have easy access to all-you-can-eat food. Also, a resident assistant acts as your mentor and guide throughout your first year of college. Although the apartments would give me more independence, dorms are a better fit for me because of the social opportunities, unlimited food, and mentorship.