by Ruth Belena

Created on: February 11, 2010

Straight reporting of facts should be done without any reference to "me" or to "you", and factual article writing should use an impersonal tone. However when writing a factual article informing readers how to do something, or when an article is intended as a piece of advice, it is important to know how to incorporate "you" into the writing. It is also appropriate to incorporate "you" into factual articles when an article title asks "Are you...?" or states "Why you should..." and when writing to any article title that refers to "your" actions or abilities.  

◊ Writing "How-to" articles and giving advice.

Factual articles which are intended to explain how to do something or provide practical advice, generally need to incorporate "you" into the writing. Consider the following:

• Example 1. If you want to know more about factual article writing, you can learn how to do it.

• Example 2. Any writer who wants to know more..., can learn how to do it.

The first example makes readers feel they are being encouraged to learn more, as individuals, but the second is impersonal and less inclusive. A how-to article or guide should be both informative and relevant to each individual reader.

When you write a recipe it is possible to give simple commands and to instruct your readers, for instance, to add one egg and stir until smooth. The alternative would be to explain that "you" should add an egg at this stage and then "you" need to stir the mixture until is is smooth.

◊ Writing articles to provide tips.

You could provide tips in a factual article simply by listing them as simple commands in brief bullet points, but a good factual article is more than just a list of tips. It refers to what "you" should do, what "you" should avoid, and makes clear how much benefit "you" will gain. The alternative would be to write about what it is better to do, what should be avoided and how anyone can benefit. That would not be quite so easy for readers to follow, and they might not feel it concerns them personally.

◊ Avoiding a common writing error.  

One important grammatical point to check on, when incorporating "you" into a factual article, is the use of "your" and you're". You can avoid making this error by using correct standard English and writing "you are" each time, rather than "you're" as it is spoken.

• You're not going to benefit from your article writing if you don't know the difference. (You are not going to benefit....)
 
• Your earnings will be lower if you're not proofreading your articles. (...if you are not proofreading your articles.)

Knowing how to incorporate "you" into a factual article can help you achieve greater writing success, and your readers will appreciate what you are telling them in all your informative articles. 

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