Project Description

Avoiding 2nd Person “You”

Main Reasons to Avoid Second Person

There are several reasons to avoid the use of “you” in academic writing:

  • Causes confusion
  • Addresses the reader
  • Is imprecise
  • Is inaccurate
  • Shifts person
  • Is too informal
Breaking the You Habit

Four ways to break the “you” habit include the following:

  • Use nouns instead
  • Use indefinite pronouns (everyone, someone, anything) instead
  • Cut the “you” out altogether
  • Avoid giving commands (where “you” is the implied subject)