Avoiding Needless Self-Reference

Avoid using such unnecessary phrases as I believe, I feel, and in my opinion. There is no need to remind your reader that what you are writing is your opinion. Such phrases add nothing of substance to your essay and make you sound insecure. Moreover, they take time to write.

• WEAK: I am of the opinion that air pollution is a more serious problem than most people realize.
• FORCEFUL: Air pollution is a more serious problem than most people realize.

On the other hand, if you describe something that happened to you—for instance, if you use an example from personal experience to illustrate a point you make in your Issue essay—then refer to yourself with first-person pronouns (I, me, my, mine). Doing so is perfectly acceptable and much more comfortable than discussing yourself in the third person (”The author had an inspirational teacher in third grade”; “One’s guilty conscience taught one never to steal again”).

• APPROPRIATE: My family had to emigrate because the authorities were abusing their power, and I will never forget the terror we felt when soldiers stopped us at the border.
  

Avoiding Needless Self-Reference Practice Set

Eliminate unnecessary self-reference in these sentences.

1. It seems to me that nuclear energy is safer and cleaner than burning fossil fuels. I think we should build more nuclear power plants.

2. The author, in my personal opinion, has outdated ideas.