Do Not Shift Narrative Voice

Occasionally self-reference may be appropriate in your essays. You may even call yourself I if you want, as long as you keep the number of first-person pronouns to a minimum. Less egocentric ways of referring to the narrator include we and one. If these more formal ways of writing seem stilted, stay with I.

The method of self-reference you select is called the narrative voice of your essay. Any of the above narrative voices are acceptable. Nevertheless, whichever you choose, you must be careful not to shift narrative voice in your essay. If you use I in the first sentence, for example, do not use we in a later sentence.

• INCORRECT: In my lifetime, I have seen many challenge to the principle of free speech. We can see how a free society can get too complacent when free speech is taken for granted.

It is likewise wrong to shift from you to one:

• INCORRECT: Just by following the news, you can readily see how politicians have a vested interest in pleasing powerful interest groups. But one should not generalized about this tendency.