"At first I thought but I dont know for

sure": The Use of First Person Pronouns in

the Academic Writing of Novices.
Teresa Thonney, Columbia Basin
College
Degree in English Studies
4th year, Autumn Semester

Eider Treceo
Eva Jimnez
Maitane Carpintero
Marta del Rey

INDEX
1.

Introduction

2.

How experts use first person

3.

How students use first person

4.

The study
1.

The Sample

2.

Methods

3.

Results and Data Analysis

5.

Discussion and pedagogical implications

6.

Conclusion

1.
Introduction
First personal pronouns Experts vs. students.
Low risk vs. High risk purposes.

2. How Experts Use First Person

Nigel Harwood (2007)

Including the reader.
writing more accessible.
Qualifying claims.
Identifying research methods.
Announcing purpose.
To establish the originality of their research.
To insert personal comments.

2. How Experts Use First Person

Ken Hyland (2002b) "promote an impression of

confidence and authority" (p. 353).

Ken Hyland (2002a) they are four times more

likely to explicitly intervene with the first person.

Use depends on:

- cultures
- discipline
- genres
Experts take credit and establish their expertise.

3. How students use first personal

pronouns
Students cultural differences (Chinese)
RAMONA AND SUGANTHI JOHN (1999)
1. writer as a group
2. writer as a "guide".
3. essay structure.
4. opinion
5. source of an idea.

4. The present STUDY

U.S undergraduates use first person pronouns in

their academic writing.

4.1. The sample

25 papers
introductory courses
several disciplines

4. 2 method
first person pronouns in quotations or do not refer

to the writer or to a group

irrelevant
Determined and coded the rhetorical functions of
I.
we: inclusive vs. exclusive

4. 3 results

Discipline

My

Me

We

Our

Us

Total

% of total words

Micrology

44

25

23

112

4.7%

Abnormal Psyc

35

51

2%

Public Speaking

15

1.1%

Drama

10

Chemistry

Race/Ethnic Relation

Geography

Art History

Music Appreciation

19

Less than 1%

12

Less than 1%

10

Less than 1%

Less than 1%

Less than 1%

Less than 1%

Less than 1%

Less than 1%

Statistics

1
124

33

World Literature

TOTAL

17

37

15

10

236

4.3.1 functions of in the paper

Function

Bio

Chem

Drama

Make a
Claim

Describe
Procedure

35

Express
Uncertainty

Art
Hist

Relate
Personally

Show
Understanding

Geog

Psych

Speech

Race/
Ethnic

T.

22

41
36

5
2

22

18

Introduce
Topic
Address
Reader

Music

1
1

3
2

3
1

4.3.1 FUNCTIONS OF I IN THE PAPER

I diagnosed Brittany with binge/purging Anorexia due to the

fact that (Psychology 3)

Making a claim:

I separated and found the Gram-positive

organism, I then followed the flow chart " [Biology 1])

Describing a procedure (e.g., "Once

I thought she may be

exhibiting signs of borderline personality disorder, due to her self-mutilating
behavior and her reaction to Polly's criticism of her, but I don't know for sure.
(Psychology 3)

acknowledging the author's novice status., At first

Expressing self-benefits or personal response to the topic . This was a fun

lab and I enjoyed the detective work involved with figuring out what the

organisms were. (Biology 2) .

Demonstrating understanding to the instructor: (e.g., "I

knew from our class

results that Kocuria rhizophila makes a capsule and so I did a simple capsule
stain."

Announcing THE WRITERS topic or purpose, (e.g., "The film

I selected [to

4.3.2 FUNCTIONS OF WE IN THE

PAPER
EXPERTS US- authority .

. (INCLUSIVE WE) STUDENTS- "general" audience.

EXPERTS- membership to their community

Exclusive we: experts - position of power.

Students denote less knowledge

students in this sample - 1st person to defer authority.

4.3.2 FUNCTIONS OF WE IN THE

PAPER

admit limited
knowledge

express
personal benefit

demostrate
understanding

imitated
experts
use

5. Discussion and Pedagogical

Implications
Reasons:
assignments students novice status
Students - reluctant to interject into conversation
not expert thinking and writing.
teacher-reader relationship- novice style

5. Discussion and Pedagogical

Implications
Solutions for students
1. use and analyze how experts create authorial
presence.
2. analyze their papers
3. students vs experts compositions
4. expert genres.
5. genuine inquiry

6. CONCLUSION
Important role of 1st pp. - how writers perceive

themselves and their relationship with readers,.

Findings: students - elaborate their own papers acquire understanding of experts use.

REFERENCE LIST
Harwood, Nigel. (2007). Political scientists on the functions of personal pronouns in their writing: An
interview-based study of "I" and "we." Text & Talk, 27(1), 27-54
Hyland, Ken. (2002a). Authority and invisibility: Authorial identity in academic writing. Journal of
Pragmatics, 34, 1091-1112.
Hyland, Ken. (2002b). Options of identity in academic writing. ELT Journal, 56(4), 351-358.