2nd Person Part 2

["Sally L. Hatton" <shatton@SCAN.MISSOURI.ORG>]

6.  I have no earthly idea why...  when you find out, please pass it
along...


7.  Please don't quote me on this - I may be way off beam - but I suspect
that
it might be a throw-back to the time when French was the 'linqua franca' of
diplomacy and, latterly, when French was considered 'a la mode' amongst the
aspiring classes. In French, the 2nd  person is only used for those with
whom you are close or familiar (friends and family) and is considered very
poor form if used with a stranger. At least that's how it used to be. As in
most cases, what begins at the top gradually filters down the social ladder
and broadens out - so what used to be restricted to diplomatic letters
became 'de rigeour' for formal letters generally and then enshrined as 'good
form'. Only a guess, but French is the only language I know where this is
the case, and it seems like a reasonable hypothesis.

8.  Because the Grammar Gods decreed it so.


9.   My best personal understanding is the following:
You is informal. By using the word "you," the author is assuming an audience
that may not be the actual audience of the document or information. Formal
papers should be written to disseminate information that will stand
regardless of who the reader might be. When the author addresses an assumed
reader, that author is no longer focusing upon the information conveyed.

 There are similar arguments against using first person in a formal
research paper, unless the author is also an integral part of the
information to be conveyed. Any written work implies the bias of the author.
In a formal paper, this bias should never be directly alluded to, with the
use of the first person. Again, the information is what matters, not the
individual who wrote the document (then again, 3rd person sources must be
identified in a formal paper, so that readers can be made aware of the
potential for biases among those sources, as well as for the purpose of
information verification). If for some reason the author of the paper is
also an integral component of the information being documented, first person
may be appropriate. Also, if the author has a bias which might not be
readily apparent to readers, the author may want to clarify this bias by
describing it at some point within the body of the paper.
In a research paper, the writer seeks to be as objective as possible,
therefore
first and second person are more subjective.  (from a Ph.D. English
teacher).



10.  A paper is based on your opinion and your research. You can't base
a formal paper on someone else's opinion as you don't know what they are
thinking. You can't project your belief into their actions either. I'd
love a compilation of your replies. This is going to make an interesting
question for my English II students.


11.  First person isn't even acceptable in formal papers!  Using third
person
addresses any reader, whereas second person addresses only one person (the
person grading the paper).  Using first person limits the perspective to
only the person writing the paper.  If a person is writing a formal paper,
he/she would want the audience to accept the information as universally
applicable.  Only third person takes care of the problems mentioned above.


12.  Using 2nd person comes off as "preachy" in a paper, and is unpleasant
to
read in the long run.  However, this is an outdated rule.  Contemporary
writers use an implied second person frequently nowadays.  good luck


Sally L. Hatton
Library Media Specialist
Willow Springs High School
215 W. Ferguson Street
Willow Springs, MO  65793
417/469-2114 *321
417/469-4647 home
shatton@scan.missouri.org

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=
All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law.
To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST), send email to:
listserv@listserv.syr.edu   In the message write EITHER:
1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
4) SET LM_NET MAIL  * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv.
For LM_NET Help see: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
Archives: http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NET.html
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=