Rules for writers, Tenth edition - Diana Hacker, Nancy Sommers 2021
Make the point of view consistent in person and number
Eliminate distracting shifts
Clarity
Shifts in point of view, in verb tense, in mood or voice, or from indirect to direct questions or quotations can distract or confuse readers.
13a Make the point of view consistent in person and number.
The point of view in a piece of writing is the perspective from which it is written: first person (I or we), second person (you), or third person (he, she, it, one, they, or any noun).
The I (or we) point of view, which emphasizes the writer, is a good choice for informal letters and writing based on personal experience. The you point of view, which emphasizes the reader, works well for giving advice or explaining how to do something. The third-person point of view, which emphasizes the subject, is appropriate in academic and professional writing.
Once you have settled on a point of view, stick with it. Shifting points of view within a piece of writing confuses readers.
EXERCISE 13-1
Edit the following paragraph to eliminate distracting shifts in point of view (person and number). Create two versions. First, rewrite it in the first person (using I and we). Then rewrite the paragraph in the third person (using people and they). In what contexts would each version be the best choice?
When online dating first became available, many people thought that it would simplify romance. We believed that you could type in a list of criteria — sense of humor, college education, green eyes, good job — and a database would select the perfect mate. Thousands of people signed up for services and filled out their profiles, confident that true love was only a few clicks away. As it turns out, however, virtual dating is no easier than traditional dating. I still have to contact the people I find, exchange messages, and meet him in the real world. Although a dating app might produce a list of possibilities and screen out obviously undesirable people, you can’t predict chemistry. More often than not, people who seem perfect online just don’t click in person. Dating apps and social media do help a single person expand their pool of potential dates, but they’re no substitute for the hard work of romance.