Understanding Personal Pronouns in Writing

This video tutorial explains how to maintain an academic tone in writing by avoiding personal pronouns like 'I', 'you', and 'we'. It highlights the importance of using scholarly sources over personal experiences to strengthen arguments. The video provides examples of how to rephrase sentences to remove personal pronouns and suggests using group nouns relevant to the topic. The tutorial concludes with a summary of key points and directs viewers to additional resources for further academic support.

What is the main purpose of this video?

• To teach viewers how to use personal pronouns effectively.

• To provide a history of academic writing styles.

• To guide viewers on avoiding personal pronouns in academic writing.

• To explain the importance of personal pronouns in writing.

What is academic tone?

• A casual and informal style of writing.

• A formal voice used in most academic writing.

• A tone that includes personal opinions.

• A style that uses a lot of personal pronouns.

Why should 'I' be avoided in academic writing?

• It makes the writing sound more formal.

• It can weaken arguments and make them less direct.

• It is not grammatically correct.

• It is too difficult to use correctly.

What is a hedge in writing?

• A strong statement of fact.

• A way to make writing sound more certain.

• A phrase that makes writing sound uncertain.

• A type of punctuation used in academic writing.

What is a better alternative to using 'I' in academic writing?

• Using a relevant group such as 'employees' or 'managers'.

• Using 'our' to make it more personal.

• Using 'you' to address the reader.

• Using 'we' to include the reader.

What is the effect of using 'I believe' in academic writing?

• It provides a clear and direct statement.

• It introduces uncertainty into the argument.

• It makes the argument more formal.

• It strengthens the argument.

How can a writer show confidence in their statements?

• By using 'I believe' to introduce statements.

• By using hypothetical questions.

• By using scholarly sources and paraphrasing them.

• By using personal experiences as proof.

What is the role of scholarly sources in academic writing?

• To provide personal opinions.

• To offer evidence and strengthen arguments.

• To make the writing sound more casual.

• To introduce hypothetical questions.

Why should 'you' be avoided in academic writing?

• It is not based in logic and can be misleading.

• It is too formal for academic writing.

• It is not a commonly used pronoun.

• It makes the writing sound too direct.

What is a common mistake when using 'you' in writing?

• Using it to pose hypothetical questions.

• Using it to state facts.

• Using it to describe personal experiences.

• Using it to cite scholarly sources.