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As part of the tenth grade WASL, student writing will be assessed. The 8th grade social studies curriculum provides a wonderful opportunity to reinforce and develop writing skills. One of the writing skills reinforced and developed in this social studies class is expository writing. In expository writing, students develop and explain their viewpoint on a topic. The WASL demands that students demonstrate competent essay writing skills. Determining the best point of view is one of the skills better writers master. Most essay writing is usually written from the first-person point of view, using pronouns such as I or we, or the third-person point of view, using pronouns such as he, she, they, or one. The third-person point of view is also known as the third-person objective point of view. Learning this technique adds a sophisticated tool to the repertoire of a masterful writer. Like all skills, one must practice the technique to master the skill. The theme book in this social studies class provides students an excellent opportunity to develop this skill. |
First, a writer must learn to recognize first, second, and third person. This is a review of what a student has learned in language arts class. Below is a basic personal pronouns chart.
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Personal Pronouns
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Pronouns
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Nominative Case
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Objective Case
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Possessive Case
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| 1st Person |
I, we
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me, us
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my, mine, our, ours
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| 2nd Person |
you
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you
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your, yours
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| 3rd Person |
he, she, it, they
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him, her, it, them
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his, her, hers, it, their,
theirs
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No nouns are entered in this chart. This is good news for writers developing their third-person objective point of view skills. All nouns are the third person. Cool.
Another class of pronouns to learn are called indefinite pronouns. All indefinite pronouns are the third person.
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Indefinite Pronouns |
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another |
each many |
everything few |
one
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Here is how this skill can be put to use.
Below is a statement in the first-person point of view:
I think Congress should reconsider its recent vote on maternity leave.
Below is the same statement in the third-person objective point of view. The I or first person has been eliminated.
Congress should reconsider its recent vote on maternity leave.
The second statement has a more objective tone, and it has the added benefit of presenting the same message with fewer words. As Dr. Irmscher of the University of Washington often stated, "Good writing is saying the most with the fewest words."
Below is a statement from a Senator Hatch regarding the flag amendment.
"It is the embodiment of our heritage, our liberties, and indeed our sovereignty as a nation." [Seattle Times, 3-30-2000]
Below is the same statement in the third-person objective point of view. The our or first person has been eliminated.
It is the embodiment of America's heritage, liberties, and indeed this country's sovereignty as a nation.
This is where writing becomes so much fun. The second statement eliminates the first person, but depending on the writer's purpose, the second statement may have a weaker emotional tone. Often writers/speakers want to personalize a message, and the use of "our" may help make a statement more personal.
In this class, students will use the topics explored in the social studies curriculum to develop not only the technique of writing in the third person but also the recognition of which point of view works best for each purpose.
More examples of how this skill can be put to use.
Below is a statement in the second-person point of view:
You should exercise your rights as American citizens and vote in next year's election.
Below is the same statement in the third-person objective point of view. Here the second person (you, your) has been replaced by the third person (citizens, their).
Citizens should exercise their rights as Americans and vote in next year's election.
Below is a statement in the first-person point of view:
We should do a better job during our student council meetings.
Below is the same statement in the third-person objective point of view.
Student leaders should do a better job during Kilo's student council meetings.
The second version accomplishes two purposes.
One, the first person (we, our) has been replaced by the third person (Student leaders, Kilo's).
Second, the revised statement is more specific. Sometimes pronouns lack the needed specificity to make the message clear. Nouns provide more meaning. Although the revised statement has more words than the original statement, the added specificity makes the message more clear.
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