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Second Person Point Information Story View Written Person Giving

Id ESLPod_0743_CN
Episode Id ESLPod 743
Episode Title Writing a Story
Title The Use of the Second-Person Point of View in Writing
Text

Whether you read novels or newspapers, most of the written materials we read "on a daily basis" (every day) is written in the first person or third person. In American schools, students are usually taught to write "expository" (something that explains or describes something) reports and "narratives" (stories). Seldom are students required to learn to write in the second person, although it has several important uses.

The second-person point of view is a way of telling a story or giving information with you, the reader, as the main character. To do this, the writer uses the second-person personal pronoun "you." Here is an example: "You are not the type of person who likes ice cream, but here you are eating three different kinds and enjoying it." The second-person point of view is sometimes used to make the reader more involved in the story or explanation.

For example, many "guidebooks" are written in the second person. Guidebooks give people information as they travel to a new place, giving information about "sites" (places to visit), transportation, and restaurants, and providing useful "tips" (advice). By using "you," the guidebook puts the traveler "in the middle of the action" (where the activity is taking place). Many "do-it-yourself manuals" (books giving you information about how to do something, such as fixing something in your home) also use the second person point of view, most likely for the same reason.

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