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How to write a First Person Essay and Get a Good Grade

First-person essays are fun essays to write. The reason is that they are usually written in the first-person perspective. In this article, you will discover everything crucial you need to know about first-person essay writing.

By reading this article, you should be able to write any first-person essay confidently. However, if you need assistance writing any first-person essay, you should order it from us. We have competent writers who can write any first-person essay and deliver ASAP.

What is a first-person Essay?

A first-person essay is an academic writing task written from the first-person perspective. A typical first-person essay will involve the author describing a personal experience. This is the reason why first-person essays are also known as personal essays .

Since first-person essays are personal, they are usually written in a casual tone and from the first-person point of view. However, there are occasions when such essays must be written in a formal tone (calling for using citations and references). Nevertheless, as stated, they are often written in a casual tone.

The best first-person essays are those with a casual tone and a solid first-person point of view (POV). A casual tone is a conversational tone or a non-formal tone.

And a solid first-person POV writing is writing that is characterized by the generous use of first-person pronouns, including “I,” “me,” and “we.” It differs from the academic third-person POV writing that is characterized by the use of third-person pronouns such as “her,” “he,” and “them.”

Types of First-person Essays

There are several types of first-person essays in the academic world. The most popular ones include admission essays, reflective essays, scholarship essays, statement of purpose essays, personal narrative essays, and memoirs.

1. Admission essays

An admission essay, a personal statement, is a first-person essay that potential students write when applying for admission at various universities and colleges. Most universities and colleges across the US require potential students to write an admission essay as part of their college application.

They do this better to understand students beyond their academic and extracurricular achievements. As a result, the best college admission essays are often descriptive, honest, introspective, meaningful, engaging, and well-edited.

2. Reflective essays

A reflective essay is a first-person essay in which the author recalls and evaluates an experience. The objective of the evaluation is usually to determine whether an experience yielded any positive or negative change. Professors typically ask students to write reflective essays to encourage critical thinking and promote learning.

Reflective essays can be written in various styles. The most popular style is the conventional introduction-body-conclusion essay writing style. The best reflective essays follow this style. In addition, they are introspective, precise, well-structured, and well-edited.

3. Scholarship essays

A scholarship essay is a first-person essay you write to get a scholarship. Most competitive scholarships require students to submit an essay as part of their application. The scholarship essay submitted is one of the things they use to determine the scholarship winner.

Usually, when scholarship committees ask applicants to write a scholarship essay, they expect the applicants to explain what makes them the most suitable candidates/applicants for the scholarship. Therefore, when you are asked to write one, you should do your best to explain what makes you deserve the scholarship more than anyone else.

The best scholarship essays are those that are honest, direct, useful, and precise. They also happen to be well-edited and well-structured. 

4. Statement of purpose essays

A statement of purpose essay is a first-person essay that graduate schools require applicants to write to assess their suitability for the programs they are applying to. A statement of purpose is also known as a statement of intent. The typical statement of purpose is like a summary of an applicant’s profile, including who they are, what they have done so far, what they hope to achieve, and so on.

When you are asked to write a statement of purpose essay, you should take your time to assess what makes you a good candidate for the program you want to join. You should focus on your relevant academic achievements and what you intend to achieve in the future. The best statement of purpose essays is those that are well-structured, well-edited, and precise.

5. Personal narrative essays

A personal narrative essay is a first-person essay in which the author shares their unique experience. The most successful personal narrative essays are those that have an emotional appeal to the readers. You can create emotional appeal in your personal narrative essay by using vivid descriptions that will help your readers strongly relate to what you are talking about. You can also create emotional appeal in your personal narrative essay by generously using imageries.

The typical personal narrative essay will have three parts: introduction-body-conclusion. In addition, the best ones usually have good descriptions of various settings, events, individuals, etc. Therefore, to write an excellent personal narrative essay, you should focus on providing a detailed and engaging description of whatever you are talking about.

A memoir is a first-person essay written to provide a detailed historical account. Memoirs are usually written to share confidential or private knowledge. Retired leaders often write memoirs to give a historical account of their leadership era from their perspective.

You may not be worried about the prospect of being asked to write a memoir as a college student, but it is good to know about this type of first-person essay. It may be helpful to you in the future. Moreover, you can always write a memoir to be strictly read by your family or friends.

 Structure and Format of a First-Person Essay

You are not required to follow any specific format when penning a first-person essay. Instead, you need to write it just like a standard format essay . In other words, ensure your essay has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

1. Introduction

Your essay must have a proper introduction paragraph. An introduction paragraph is a paragraph that introduces the readers to what the essay is all about. It is what readers will first read and decide whether to continue reading the rest of your essay. Thus, if you want your essay to be read, you must get the introduction right.

The recommended way to start an essay introduction is to begin with an attention-grabbing sentence. This could be a fact related to the topic or a statistic. By starting your essay with an attention-grabbing sentence, you significantly increase the chances of readers deciding to read more.

After the attention-grabbing sentence, you must include background information on what you will discuss. This information will help your readers know what your essay is about early on.

The typical essay has a body. It is in the body that all the important details are shared. Therefore, do not overshare in the introduction when writing a first-person essay. Instead, share your important points or descriptions in the body of your essay.

The best way to write the body of your first-person essay is first to choose the most important points to talk about in your essay. After doing this, you are supposed to write about each point in a different paragraph. Doing this will make your work structured and easier to understand.

The best way to write body paragraphs is, to begin with, a topic sentence that sort of declares what the writer is about to write. You should then follow this with supporting evidence to prove your point. Lastly, you should finish your body paragraph with a closing sentence that summarizes the main point in the paragraph and provides a smooth transition to the next paragraph.

3. Conclusion

At the end of your first-person essay, you must offer a conclusion for the first-person essay to be complete. The conclusion should restate the thesis of your essay and its main points. And it should end with a closing sentence that wraps up your entire essay.

Steps for Writing a First-Person Essay

If you have been asked to write a first-person essay, you should simply follow the steps below to write an excellent first-person essay of any type.

1. Choose a topic

The first thing you need to do before you start writing a first-person essay is to choose a topic. Selecting a topic sounds like an easy thing to do, but it can be a bit difficult. This is because of two things. One, it is difficult for most people to decide what to write about quickly. Two, there is usually much pressure to choose a topic that will interest the readers.

While it is somewhat challenging to choose a topic, it can be done. You simply need to brainstorm and write down as many topics as possible and then eliminate the dull ones until you settle on a topic that you know will interest your readers.

2. Choose and stick to an essay tone

Once you choose a topic for your essay, you must choose a tone and maintain that tone throughout your essay. For example, if you choose a friendly or casual tone, you should stick to it throughout your essay.

Choosing a tone and sticking to it will make your essay sound consistent and connected. You will also give your essay a nice flow.

3. Create an outline

Once you have chosen a topic and chosen a tone for your essay, you should create an outline. The good news about creating an outline for a first-person essay is that you do not have to spend much time doing research online or in a library. The bad news is that you will have to brainstorm to create a rough sketch for your essay.

The easiest way to brainstorm to create a rough sketch for your essay is to write down the topic on a piece of paper and create a list of all the important points relevant to the topic. Make sure your list is as exhaustive as it can be. After doing this, you should identify the most relevant points to the topic and then arrange them chronologically.

Remember, a first-person essay is almost always about you telling a story. Therefore, make sure your points tell a story. And not just any story but an interesting one. Thus, after identifying the relevant points and arranging them chronologically, brainstorm and note down all the interesting details you could use to support them. It is these details that will help to make your story as enjoyable as possible.

3. Write your first draft

After creating your outline, the next thing to do is to write your first draft. Writing the first draft after creating a comprehensive outline is much easier. Consequently, simply follow the outline you created in the previous step to writing your first draft. You already arranged the most relevant points chronologically, so you shouldn’t find it challenging to write your first draft.

When writing this first draft, remember that it should be a good story. In other words, ensure your first draft is as chronological as possible. This will give it a nice flow and make it look consistent. When writing the first draft, you will surely remember new points or details about your story. Feel free to add the most useful and interesting ones.

4. Edit your essay

After writing your first draft, you should embark on editing it. The first thing you need to edit is the flow. Make sure your first draft has a nice flow. To do this, you will need to read it. Do this slowly and carefully to find any gaps or points of confusion in your draft. If you find them, edit them to give your story a nice flow.

The second thing you need to edit is the tone. Make sure the draft has a consistent tone throughout. Of course, ensure it is also in first-person narrative from the first paragraph to the last. The third thing you need to edit is the structure. Ensure your essay has a good structure with three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion.

5. Proofread your essay

After ensuring your essay has a nice flow, a consistent tone, and a good structure, you should proofread it. The purpose of doing this is to eliminate all the grammar errors, typos, and other writing mistakes. And the best way to do it is to read your essay aloud.

Reading your essay aloud will help you catch writing errors and mistakes. However, you should also proofread your essay using an online editor such as Grammarly.com to catch all the writing errors you may have missed.

After proofreading your essay, it will be crisp and ready for submission.

Topic ideas for a first-person essay

Below are some topic ideas for first-person essays. Since there are several distinct types of first-person essays, the ideas below may not be relevant to some types of first-person essays. However, the list below should give you a good idea of common first-person essay topics.

• A story about losing a friend
• A story about your first foreign trip
• A story about the best thing that happened to you
• A dangerous experience that happened to you
• A high school friend you will never forget
• A story about how you learned a new skill
• The most embarrassing thing that happened to you
• The first time you cooked your own meal
• The first time you did something heroic
• The first time you helped someone in need
• Your first job
• The most fun you’ve ever had
• The scariest thing that ever happened to you
• A day you will never forget
• The biggest life lesson you have learned
• How you met your best friend
• Your first time driving a car
• Your first time, feel depressed and lost
• A story from a vacation trip
• Your cultural identity

Sample Outline of a First-person Essay

Below is a sample outline of a first-person essay. Use it to create your first-person essay outline when you need to write a first-person essay.

• Attention-grabbing sentence
• Background info
• Thesis statement
• Body Paragraph 1
• First major point
• Closing sentence

2. Body Paragraph 2

• Second major point

3. Body Paragraph 3

• Third major point

4. Conclusion

• Thesis restatement
• Summary of major points
• Concluding statement

Example of a first-person essay

My First Job Your first job is like your first kiss; you never really forget it, no matter how many more you get in the future. My first job will always be remarkable because of the money it gave me and how useful it made me feel. About two weeks after my 17 th birthday, my mother asked me if I could consider taking a job at a small family restaurant as a cleaner. I agreed. I could say no if I wanted to, but I didn’t. My mother was a single mother working two jobs to care for my three younger siblings and me. She always came back home tired and exhausted every single day. I had always wanted to help her, and as soon as the opportunity presented itself, I grabbed it with my two hands. My mother had heard about the cleaner job from a close friend; hence she hoped I could do it to earn money for our family. Once I agreed, I went to the restaurant the next day. I took the train and arrived at about seven in the morning. The restaurant was already packed at this time, with the workers running around serving breakfast. I asked to speak to someone about the cleaning job, and I was soon at the back office getting instructions about the job. Apparently, I was the first to show genuine interest in taking the job. For the first three days, the other staff showed me around, and after that, I started cleaning the restaurant daily at $8 an hour. Now $8 an hour may seem like little money to most people, but to me, it meant the world! It was money I didn’t have. And within the first week, I had made a little over $400. I felt very proud about this when I got my first check. It made me forget how tired I was becoming from working every day. It also made me happy because it meant my mom didn’t have to work as hard as she did before. Moreover, within a month of working at the restaurant, I had accumulated over $250 in savings, which I was very proud of. The little savings I had accumulated somehow made me feel more financially secure. Every weekend after work was like a victory parade for me. The moment I handed over half my pay to my mother made me feel so helpful around the house. I could do anything I wanted with the remaining half of the pay. I used quite a fraction of this weekly to buy snacks for my siblings. This made me feel nice and even more useful around the house. After about three months of work, my mom got a promotion at one of her places of work. It meant I no longer needed to work at the restaurant. But I still went to work there anyway. I did it because of the money and how useful it made me feel. I continued working at the restaurant for about five more months before joining college.

Final Thoughts!

First-person essays are essays written from the first-person perspective. There are several first-person perspective essays, including personal narrative essays, scholarship essays, admission essays, memoirs, etc.

In this post, you learned everything crucial about first-person essays. If you need help writing any first-person essay, you should contact us. We’ve got writers ready to write any type of first-person essay for you.

Any of our writers can ensure your first-person essay is excellent, original, error-free, and ready for submission.

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How to write a first person essay

• November 18, 2023

A first person essay is a type of academic essay written in the first person point of view that presents a significant lesson learned from a writer’s personal experience.

The aim of a first person essay is to establish a bond with the reader. You encourage the reader to accompany you on your personal journey when writing this type of essay .

Step 1: First person essay example

Before we go further into the steps, analyze  the following first person essay example This will give you an overall idea of what a first person essay is.

First person essay example

When I think of my past life, one of the memories I remember the most vividly is my first day at school. Hook: Engaging first sentence that helps the reader grasp the importance of the event. I have always been a student that loved school and studying; I am what you might consider a nerd. Therefore, I don’t think it’s necessary for me to say how excited I was to start school. Personal information: Information that connects the reader with the writer.

In the weeks leading up to the first school day, I remember checking my stationary my parents had bought me for school every day and admiring them, thinking how excited I was to finally start using them. Opening sentence: Vivid explanation of the past events, creating a more appealing story. I had already learned to read and write before starting elementary school, and I could not wait to see the look on my teacher’s face when I told them, “I already know this stuff!”. Yes, I was an annoying kid. Insights: Insight into the writer’s personality, which creates a more sincere tone. You can ask my childhood friends if you would like to hear someone else’s thoughts on this; I am sure they will tell you the same thing. Concluding sentence: Casual and humorous tone that eases the reader.

You probably expect a happy first day of school story from me right now. Emotional connection: Addressing the reader, therefore strengthening the emotional connection. The truth is far from that. As much as I was a nerd, I was a mamma’s kid. Insights: Further insight into the writer’s personality. So, when my parents dropped me off at school, I started crying my eyes out. Event: Vivid description of the event. I did not want them to leave, but I also wanted to begin my first school day. So, my mother set eyes on a blonde girl that she thought looked like a good kid and made me sit next to her. After starting to chat with my new friend, I slowly eased off and was ready to put on a show. Needless to say, that blonde girl became one of my best friends in elementary school. Feelings: Description of feelings felt by the writer. This helps strengthen the bond between the writer and the reader. Even though it did not go quite according to my plans, I still cherish the memory of my first day at school. Concluding sentence: Concluding sentence of your paragraph which should be memorable and descriptive.

The rest of the school year was much more eventful because, being a crybaby, I started crying even at the slightest of inconvenience. Emotional connection: More insight into the writer’s personality. Adding these details creates an emotional bond with the reader. Naturally, this created a problem for my teacher and classmates, in so much that the deputy headteacher was telling kids to keep quiet, not because it disrupted the class, but because it made me cry. Emphasizing memories: Recounting of more memories in a casual tone. Thinking back to my first school day and generally, my elementary school experience always makes me happy. Therefore, I always have so much fun talking about my school experiences. Final sentence: Your finishing sentences, make sure to make it memorable for your reader.

Step 2: Structure of a first person essay

When it comes to first person essays, both structured academic writing or casual personal narratives can be used.

But remember that the style of first person essays is typically conversational . You need to combine a mixture of personal anecdotes, an emotional connection, and a clear point of view.  So personal pronouns are highly common in first person essays.

First person pronouns

First person pronouns example.

Pronouns such as “ I ,” “ me ,” and “ we ” First person pronouns must be used when writing first person essays. This contrasts with the third person point of view, which uses third person pronouns such as “ he ,” “ she ,” and “ they ”. Third person pronouns

Second person pronouns

Second-person pronouns example.

First person essays also contrast with the second-person point of view, which uses second-person pronouns such as “ you ,” and “ yours ”. Second-person pronouns

Now that we have learned the essentials of first person essays, we can continue with the steps to write an excellent one.

Step 3: Choosing a first person essay topic

Almost any topic can be written in a first person essay. But this should not scare you, as we have some tactics for you to easily choose your topic .

• It doesn’t matter what you write as long as it’s something you’re enthusiastic about.
• Ask yourself this question: “What have I experienced in the past that has had an emotional appeal on me?”
• Choose a topic that is amusing, compelling or moving.
• If you’re having trouble choosing what to talk about, think about what makes you happy or sad.

First person essay topic examples

• Your first day at school
• Your new life in a new city​
• The funniest day of your life​
• A sad event you have gone through​
• A memory from your childhood​

For this guide, we’ve chosen the topic of “ your first day at school .” Above, you’ll see the example essay . When you’ve worked out what you want to say, move on to the next step: figure out your tone.

Step 4: Define your tone

Before starting your first draft, think about your essay’s tone and language (see UK and US English ). 

Your writing style will need to change depending on the purpose of your essay. For instance, i f you’re writing an argumentative or persuasive essay, you may want to use a calculated and rational first person viewpoint .

This will persuade the reader to agree with your key argument. But when you’re writing a reflective essay , you may want to use satire to keep the reader entertained.

So for first person essays, ask yourself these questions to see if your tone is appropriate:

• Is my tone clear?
• Is my writing intimate and appealing?​
• Can my first person storytelling connect with the reader?​

If your answers to these questions are “ yes ,” you are probably doing a good job.

Step 5: Create an outline

It’s time to make a brief outline now that you’ve selected your topic and decided on the right tone. The outline will help you get your thoughts organized. It will also help you with the order of your headings in the writing process .

Your first person essay should follow the traditional introduction , body paragraphs , and conclusion essay structure, unless stated otherwise.

Example of a first person essay outline

• Personal information
• Concluding sentence
• Final sentence

Ask yourself these questions while creating your outline:

• What are your story’s or argument’s key points?
• What are the places, people, and events that are important for my essay?​
• What do you want people to understand from your first person essay?​
• What feelings do you want to inspire or trigger?​
• What do you want your readers to think about you? ​

Step 6: Write your first draft

Now, let’s get to writing. The first draft of your essay is an important step toward creating a well-thought-out and concentrated academic essay .

First person essay introduction first draft example

Introduction (Hook, Personal information) I was always attracted by the stars in the night sky as a youngster. They appeared to be tiny pinpricks of light, far away and enigmatic. My passion in astronomy only grew as I grew older, and I began to spend countless hours studying the stars and planets. I didn't realize the enormous power of a telescope until I was in college. I could see aspects of the world that I had never dreamed conceivable with such a little tool. I've been studying the stars as an amateur astronomer for almost a decade. I've always been captivated by the universe's beauty and complexity, and I feel is no greater thrill than learning something new about our surroundings.

Things to consider

• Don’t be too harsh on your first draft. You’ll have plenty of time to revise it later.
• All you have to do now is identify your story's basic elements: characters, locations, and incidents.​
• It’s fine to stop, gather your thoughts, and remind yourself of your main idea when writing your first draft.​
• If you can, give yourself a few days to rest after writing the draft, then come back and revise it. ​

More on first draft

Step 7: revise your draft and finish writing, first person essay introduction final draft example.

Introduction (Hook, Personal information) I was always attracted by the stars The stars always attracted me in the night sky as a youngster. They appeared to be tiny pinpricks of light, far away and enigmatic. My passion in astronomy only for astronomy grew as I grew older, and I began to spend spent countless hours studying the stars and planets. I didn't realize only realized the enormous power of a telescope until once I was in college. I could see aspects of the world that I had never dreamed of conceivable with such a little tool. I've been studying studied the stars as an amateur astronomer for almost a decade. I've always been captivated by the universe's beauty and complexity, and I feel and there is no greater incredible thrill than learning something new about our surroundings.

Important things to consider while revising

• Don’t just tell the reader what’s going on; use vivid common words, phrasal words , transition words , and transition sentences to describe the situation and depict the storyline.
• Avoid excessive emotions. It’s perfectly appropriate to convey happiness, frustration, or sadness, but you must strike a balance.​
• Proofread the essay for common mistakes , spelling and grammar mistakes ( active and passive etc.), capitalization rules , punctuation, and repetitions.
• Examine the writing and see if it’s straightforward and to-the-point and whether you’re sharing your ideas in an understandable way.
• Is there consistency in the essay, both structurally and contextually?
• Are there any passive voice sentences that I can rewrite in active voice?​
• Is there enough sensory information in my essay to touch the reader and make them feel like they’re a part of my experience?​

Key takeaways

• A first-person essay is a type of essay that is written from the perspective of the author, using "I" statements and personal experiences.
• To write a first-person essay, you must be willing to share personal details and experiences with your reader.
• Begin your essay with a clear introduction that provides context for your topic and establishes your voice as the author.
• Use personal anecdotes, sensory details, and other techniques to bring your experiences to life and engage the reader.
• End your essay with a conclusion that reflects on your experiences and provides a final thought or message for the reader.

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How To Write A First Person Essay | Types, Format and Steps on How To Write A First Person Essay

October 21, 2024 by Prasanna

How To Write A First Person Essay: What Do You Mean By The First-Person Essay? The first-person essay means an essay that should be written in first-person, mainly using phrases or words like me, mine, my, I, etc. It means one should write this kind of essay as if he/she has had the experienced of the stories or the topics discussed or explained in the piece. The first-person essay lets the readers imagine and experience the uniqueness of the information mentioned in the essay. It affects the reader’s mind; it starts to make them think about how one particular incident changed the life of the writer forever.

To make this happen, it is a must that the writer writes the essay in first-person. Writing the same essay in a third person will never have the same effect on the readers. No matter how great the story is. The writer’s sole aim here is to engage the readers in the development and make them believe that they are present in that particular situation.

This is what the first-person essay is all about. Further, in the essay, I will be discussing the types of First-person essays.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more

Types Of The First-Person Essay

• Personal Narrative Essay: This type of the first-person essay generally deals with sharing the writer’s unique experience. The story that the writer is narrating in the essay must have an emotional impact on the readers. In order to do so, the writer has to use such descriptions that will enable the readers to relate to the situation. Another essential aspect of narrative writing is the use of various imageries. The must be able to help the readers imagine the details of the surroundings, scenario. To impact this on the readers, the narrator must keep in mind the intrinsic information and mention it while describing a particular scene and its importance.
• Reflective Essays/Memoirs: Reflective essays refer to the essays in which the writer tests their real-life experiences. It helps them understand whether that experience has brought a positive or an adverse change. It helps them to understand their personal growth, identify their fears, and understand themselves better. To determine the difference in the lives of the writer, one can write a reflective essay. In most cases, reflective essays are written in first-person so that it is easier to recreate the experiences that took place. Talking about the format of the reflective essay, it entirely depends on the audience. For example, writing a reflective essay for a college and writing a reflective essay for a job will have different materials in it. It will also cover various topics and other aspects of individual growth.
• Memoirs: Memoirs are usually historical accounts or essays written from personal knowledge or experience. It should have been reported in first-person as it involves the sharing of confidential or private information of a person. Memoirs don’t require or have to have a broad audience. The writer may write a memoir only for a limited group of people like the writer’s family or friends. It is completely upon the writer with whom he/she wants to share the memoir.
• Personal Statements: It is a written description of the writer’s achievements, interests, academics, etc. it is mainly associated with job applications, college applications, applications for further studies, etc. As its statements are mostly applications, it must be in first-person. When the essay is written in the third or second person, it would absolutely make no sense.

Format Of A First-Person Essay

There is no specified or distinct format for writing a first-person essay. It thus follows the basic rules of an essay. It mainly consists of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion that the writer will have to write in first-person.

Introduction: the essay must have a proper introduction. This is the part that will decide whether the readers will be reading the essay or not. So, the writer needs to have a substantial and impactful introduction.

The introduction paragraph should introduce the topic and give the readers the slightest idea about the essay. It should be crisp yet exciting, grabbing the attention of the readers.

Body: The body of the essay deals with all the descriptions, essential points, and stories of the essay. The body consists of All the crucial elements, turns of events. It is the longest part of the essay. To make sure that the body is written with facts and theories, making it an exciting piece, the writer should continuously keep the body’s content in check.

The writer should write the climax in this part of the essay.

Conclusion: this marks the end of the essay. After the climax, in this section of the essay discusses the post climatic part of the essay. It brings all the points together, joining all the loose ends. This leaves the readers with a sense of completeness and a proper ending.

Writing The First-Person Essay In Five Steps

In the case of writing a first-person essay, it might turn out to be a hassle. But in order to avoid such hassle, one can follow the following steps to write a perfect essay in a hassle-free manner.

Select a Topic: Choosing a topic may seem to be a very confusing task. It is also the most crucial task that must be accomplished with efficiency. This is the most important work of the writer as the essay will be revolving around this topic. It has a vast impact on the readers. If the chosen topic is not up to the mark, the readers will find it too dull. If the topic’s selection is appropriately made then, the essay will be a complete hit.

The Essay’s Voice Must Be Considered: it is a must to consider the voice of the essay throughout. The writer shall always ensure that he/she is writing the entire essay in first-person. One should never mix up the voices or the tense while writing an essay.

If the writer is writing an argumentative essay, the essay will be written in first-person in such a manner that the main point of the argument is conveyed to the readers. On the other hand, if a writer is writing a reflective essay, there should be some humor in the story order to entertain the readers and engage them with the essay. The ultimate aim here is to maintain the essay’s tone so the reader feels connected with the first-person narrative.

Make a Rough Outline:  Once the topic is chosen and the choice of the tone of the essay is made, the next step is to make a rough sketch of the story’s plot. The stories, places, and people who will be a part of the essay should be jotted down on a piece of paper. The list should be made according to their occurrence in the essay. Which character comes after which incident, what happens in which place, etc.

The job of the writer here is to make sure that the story is following a trail, and it should not sound abrupt at all. To put in words that will make the readers feel the situation, it will make them think that they are facing the situation and not that they are reading an essay. Writing all these down in points will help the writer to a great extent.

Write a Draft:  After all of the previous steps are complete, it is time to start writing. In this context, one thing to keep in mind is that one should not make it boring, repeating the same points. It should have heavy emotions, candidness, and a few personal references. In first-person writing, the writer is the main protagonist, so he/she should make sure that there is an essence of their personality being reflected in the essay.

Edit: Last but not least, the job of the essay is editing. After roughly writing the essay, one should always go back to the start and re-read the essay. Make all the necessary changes and make the writing crisp yet to the point. There are a few tips that the writer has to ensure in the end. The writer needs to make sure that the essay is not too long as if it is so, the readers will lose interest.

One will also have to make the required grammar changes, make sure that the tenses are correct, etc. after all of this is complete, the essay will be ready for submission to the concerned party.

These are a few effective steps mentioned in the above paragraph that has a vast impact on the writers.

FAQ’s On How To Write A First-Person Essay

Question 1. Is it okay to use first-person in an essay?

Answer: It is definitely okay to use or write an essay in first-person. In the majority of the cases, the first-person essay must be written. In essays like an application for college, jobs, only first-person should be used; in these cases, using second-person to write an essay is absolutely inappropriate and makes no sense.

Question 2. What can be an example of a first-person essay?

Answer: A first-person essay can be of several types and variety. It could be a job application, a written application for studying purpose, essays sharing real-life stories, incidents, personal account of a person, autobiography of a renounced person, and several other topics that fall under this category.

These are only a few examples of first-person essays. First-person essays can be written to serve many other purposes as well. A well-known example of the first-person essay is ‘The diary of a young girl’ written by Anne Frank. She was a thirteen-year-old girl who shows the view of World War II and the Jewish people’s suffering.

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How to Write a First Person Essay

First person essay writing guide.

First-person essays are aimed at sharing an experience, letting your reader see and feel it. They show how that experience changed your mind, affected you, educated you. Your essay is your personal journey of discovery. And your main task while writing your essay is to engage a reader to take that journey with you.

To make your thoughts and emotions run in the right direction, you need to follow the basic rules. Here is how to write from your perspective and show your reader the true sense of the story.

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Let’s take it step by step:

While writing your first draft, it is OK to pause, recollect your thoughts and remind yourself of your goal. When you think you’ve said all you can say, close your notebook and walk away. In several hours, in a day, or so, read your essay. You’ll find information that shines with brilliance and you’ll see plenty of unnecessary details. It’s good to recognize this before you submit your work.

Style and Voice The goal of your first-person essay is to connect with a reader, so they can visualize your point of view. You need to write in a personal, engaging, understandable and revealing way.

• Personal – You are the main protagonist, so make your essay intimate and revealing to show the reader your personal world. The best essays are written like a conversation with a smart friend, in a real and genuine way.
• Engaging – To make your essay interesting, include intriguing details, humorous experience and descriptive language. Your essay shouldn’t sound like a science report, so make sure your writing style is appealing and entertaining.
• Understandable – Write in a straightforward and understandable way. Avoid using unclear references or dubious phrases. Use simple, clear and concise language that will easily connect you with a reader.
• Revealing – It is very important to make your first-person essay revealing. Personal references establish the setting, mood, theme and historical relevance. If you fail to do that, you’ll find it really difficult to disclose all necessary information in your essay.

A good essay is one that appeals to the five senses. Make sure you offer enough details, so your reader can see, hear and smell what you’re writing about. Don’t just tell the audience what’s going on, use the verbs to show that. However, avoid being too emotional. It’s fine to show happiness, anger or sadness, but you need to find a balance.

In addition, check your essay for grammar, punctuation, repetitions. You don’t want to spoil your personal journey by silly typos or mistakes. Ask yourself if your writing is clear and to-the-point and whether you share your thoughts in the most understandable way.

How to Write in the First Person Effectively

Perhaps you were asked to write something in the first person, and you are looking for a refresher course on what that means — but it’s equally likely that you are already familiar with the terminology but are not sure about the best way to make this type of writing work for you.

You’re in the right place in either case, because we’ll be guiding you through everything you need to know about writing effectively in the first person.

What Is the First Person?

To sum it up succinctly, it’s you — anything you write from your personal perspective, using pronouns that refer to yourself as a unique individual or identify yourself as part of a group of people, is written from a first person perspective.

Most people are aware that writing in the first person involves using “I statements” (“I am 22 years old”, “In this essay I will be exploring why Hobbes’ grim view of human nature is categorically false”, “I donate money to charity regularly”, and so on). The first person does, however, include a much wider range of personal pronouns.

In the singular, meaning you’re talking only about yourself, you have, in addition to “I”:

Plural first person pronouns include we, our, ours, ourselves, and us. In this case, you are either speaking on behalf of a wider group of people (like your workplace or the group of classmates you worked on an assignment with), or about something you experienced together with other people (such as “our car broke down on the way to Oregon”).

When Is it Appropriate to Write in the First Person?

Some situations always call on you to use the first person. They would include penning a personal letter to almost anyone (from a letter of complaint to a store to a letter to the President) and writing a personal statement as part of a college admissions process.

Using the first person in academic writing remains controversial, and most fields have traditionally discouraged it. It is entirely possible that you are currently reading this guide because a professor has explicitly asked you to write an essay in the first person, and you need more information because the very concept clashes with everything you have learned so far.

The academic world is slowly beginning to embrace first person language in academic writing, including research papers, especially in humanities-related fields such as sociology. This is because acknowledging your personal involvement with your research topic provides context.

By avoiding the first person, you are often forced to contort yourself into entirely unnatural language that divorces you from the subject. Embracing first person language can help you avoid awkward sentences such as “data was collected by means of personal interviews”, for instance, which devalues your work if the interview process was an integral part of the way in which you formed your conclusions. This simultaneously helps you avoid over-reliance on the passive voice, which does not make for enjoyable reading.

You can read Duke University’s perspective on first person language in academic writing here for additional background information.

In professional writing, the language you use depends on the context and employer’s policies. These days, it is far from unusual to spot first person language in opinion editorials, for instance, but first person language would not be appropriate in a news report or a white paper. Where in doubt, always check.

Are you writing a book? It is, of course, common — almost universal, in fact — for autobiographies and memoirs to be penned in the first person. Fiction writers, too, occasionally opt for a first person narrative, which becomes the perspective of the protagonist. Choosing to write a novel in the first person is a bold move that will affect the entire flow and feel of the book, but it can absolutely be effective.

Examples of First Person Writing

Were you hoping to see some examples of first person usage in action, in contexts where you may not yet be used to seeing it as well as some where you would expect them? We’re here to help.

• To lead with a particularly pertinent example, a research paper titled The use of the first person in academic writing: objectivity, language and gatekeeping and written by C Webb contains the sentence: “The same argument can be applied to the ideas I am concerned with in this paper”. (Ironically, the paper’s abstract states that “this paper is written in the first person”.)
• When writing a personal statement for medical school, it’s common to see first person statements such as “this experience quickly forced me to develop effective time management strategies, and I ultimately sacrificed my interest in football to focus on science” .
• When writing a personal letter or email, it is natural to use first person statements, such as “I ordered a pair of custom shoes from you four weeks ago, but I have not received them yet” .
• In an article about the emotional lives of cats, written for the British newspaper The Guardian , the author uses first person language in saying: “According to my search history, in the two years since I became a cat owner I have Googled variations of “cat love me – how do I tell?” and “is my cat happy” 17 times.”

Tips on Using the First Person Effectively in Your Writing

First person language has traditionally been shunned in academic writing because relying on this kind of language comes with the risk of placing subjective opinions, emotions, and experiences above objective scientific observation. Avoiding the first person can have the opposite effect — that of separating you from your subject entirely, which may be undesirable.

Regardless of your aims in writing and your reasons for choosing the first person, these tips will prevent you from falling into common traps that reduce the quality of your writing:

• Use the first person if you are writing a narrative essay that focuses on your personal experiences, a letter written solely on your own behalf, or a novel in which you truly want your readers to immerse themselves in the protagonist’s perspective.
• In academic writing, always check before using the first person, as you may lose points otherwise.
• Academic writing may call for first person language if your own experiences significantly change the way in which you interact with the subject matter, which is most common in the social sciences.
• In the 21 st Century, dry writing devoid of all personality is becoming less popular. First person language can make you appear more relatable, which helps you hold onto the reader’s attention.
• When writing an article or essay, first person language can also be used to hook the reader — particularly if you have a relevant, entertaining, or compelling anecdote to share.
• When you are writing in the first person, make very sure not to start nearly every sentence with “I”. It is sloppy and boring to read. First person writing does not mean that every sentence has to refer back to you, either. Don’t forget to describe your environment, too.
• Ask yourself whether your first person statement adds value to your writing, and also consider the possibility that your choice to use “I statements” could actively reduce the quality of your writing. Only use first person language in cases where it works to improve or clarify your message.

How do I use the first person in a narrative essay?

Your essay will be most effective if you do not let your freedom to write in the first person interfere with your ability to pay attention to the world beyond your inner self. Despite the fact that you are writing in the first person, and about your own experiences, no essay can be just about you.

What are some examples of good novels written in the first person?

Sorry to Disrupt the Peace: A Novel by Patrick Cottrell, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro are all compelling examples of novels written in the first person. They each demonstrate how this stylistic choice can allow readers to ride the story out from right within the protagonist’s mind.

How do I know if it is acceptable to use the first person in academic writing?

Simply ask your professor if you are writing a college essay or research paper. Using the first person can cause you to lose points in some cases, so it is always best to check before you take this bold but logical step. Remember that first person language is more accepted in the social sciences than in other academic fields.

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