Voice

Most English essays are about the text or the object/event/production/edition under discussion. You will not need to talk about yourself in the first person, address others in the second person, or mention “readers” (in the third person).

Occasionally, it makes sense to acknowledge your own subjectivity or your own part in the research process. You may have been told in the past to avoid the word “I” in your essays. But it is better to use the first-person pronoun, acknowledging your subjectivity as a reader and a critic, than to suggest that your personal response is universal.

However, do not fill your essay with “I think” or “I suggest”; in most cases, an assertive statement is stronger. For example, “I think the strength of the production was Michael Therriault’s Sir Andrew” is better amended to “The strength of the production was Michael Therriault’s Sir Andrew.”