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When composing, writers must decide from what point of view they want to express their ideas. Their three choices are first person, second person, and third person.
First person indicates the writer is the speaker or narrator. This form is most commonly used when writing about personal experiences or in expressing one's own opinion. The first person pronouns include I, me, my, mine, we, our, and ours.
Second person indicates the person to whom the writer is speaking. This form is most commonly used when describing a process, giving directions or advice, or in coorespondence--letters directed to a specific individual. The second person pronouns include you and yours.
Third person indicates the person (or thing) about whom the writer is speaking, to refer to other people. In addition to being used when the writer prefers to present a story from someone else's point of view, this form is generally preferred in more formal expository writing such as research papers and business reports. The third person pronouns include she, he, her, him, hers, his, it, its, they, them, theirs.
The problem in point of view occurs when the writer uses pronouns that unnecessarily shift in person. The most common error involves shifting from either first or third person to second person (you), resulting in an ambiguous reference to the reader. To avoid this error, keep the point of view consistent.
Examples:
When they stopped to ask for directions, the gas station attendant's advice was so confusing that you could never find the restaurant where the reception was being held.
None of our teachers cared if you passed or failed.
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