How to Avoid Using 2nd Person

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How to Avoid Using 2nd Person

• Todays Exciting Comp Topic!

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The Obvious Kind

• Example You should do your homework so that
  your teacher wont yell at you.
• Fix Students should do their homework so that
  their teachers wont yell at them.
• Fix A student should do his homework so that
  his teachers wont yell at him.

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Terms You Need to Know

• Whats agreement?
• Making sure a subject and its verb OR a pronoun
  and its antecedent are the same in number
  (singular or plural).
• Whats an antecedent?
• The word replaced or referred to by the pronoun.

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Antecedents

• Singular Antecedents
• one, everyone, anyone, someone, no one
• everybody, anybody, somebody, nobody
• either, neither, each
• person, individual, or some other label that
  relates to topic
• Singular Pronouns
• he, she, him, her, it, his, her, hers, its

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Examples

• Everyone should bring (his, their) band uniform.
• Anybody can raise (her, their) hand to
  participate.
• Someone had better confess (his, their) guilt, or
  else!
• One should always think before (he acts, they
  act).
• An individual who wants to be a professional
  musician should make time in (his, their)
  schedule every day.

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Mixing it Up

• Too many different kinds of singular antecedents
  in one sentence is AWKWARD CONFUSING!
• Awkward A person should do ones homework so
  that ones teacher wont yell at the student.
• Better One should do his homework so that his
  teacher wont yell at him.

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A More Creative Strategy

• Use labels that relate specifically to your
  topic.
• How-to on fly-fishing? Try fly fisherman or
  angler.
• How-to on pet iguanas? Try lizard lover or
  exotic pet owner.
• How-to on creating the perfect party iPod
  playlist??

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Variety is the spice of life!

• Use a mixture of generic and creative and a
  mixture of singular and plural, BUT not in the
  same sentence.
• Plural Antecedents people, individuals, OR other
  3rd person labels that relate to your topic (e.g.
  students, fishermen, music-lovers, athletes,
  etc.)
• Plural Pronouns (to be used to refer to plural
  antecedents) they, them, their, theirs

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The Sneaky Kind of 2nd Person

• Example Make sure the toaster is unplugged
  before attempting to repair it.
• This is the voice used in a request, command or
  suggestion. What is the subject of this
  sentence?
• (YOU) Make sure the toaster is unplugged before
  attempting to repair it.

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How to Fix It

• Solution 1 The repairman should make sure the
  toaster is unplugged before attempting to fix it.
• Step 1 Identify the role or function of the
  person the sentence is addressing.
• Step 2 Come up with a creative label for that
  person.
• Step 3 Make that label the subject of the
  sentence.
• Step 4 Add a helping verb like should or
  must or needs to or ought to.

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Another Way to Fix It

• Solution 2 Making sure that the toaster is
  unplugged before attempting to repair it will
  ensure that the handyman does not get
  electrocuted.
• Step 1 Add ing to the verb.
• Step 2 Come up with a tip or warning to include
  at the end of the sentence.
• Step 3 add a new verb phrase such as will
  ensure or should guarantee to attach the tip
  or warning
• BONUS This will not only eliminate 2nd person
  but also make your writing more sophisticated!
  )