We Can Use 2nd Person in a Process Essay,

But Should We?

I've often discouraged you from using 2nd person in your essays because as you progress in your academic career, 2nd person becomes less and less acceptable. In college Composition classes, it is usually forbidden entirely, so the sooner you can learn to work without it, the better.

Yes, I do understand I just used 2nd person myself. The clause "you can learn to work without it" is 2nd person. The only reason 2nd person is acceptable on this page is that I am trying to provide instruction and give advice and to do so I want to speak to you directly. For exactly that reason, 2nd person is forbidden in academic essays because academic readers don't appreciate being lectured, advised, or told what they think.

A Review of Grammatical Person
First, a quick review of what the various grammatical persons look like:

     1st Person     When I house-train a puppy, I use the paper training method.

     2nd Person     When you house-train your puppy, use a simple paper training method.

     3rd Person     Successful dog trainers use a simple paper training method. (Active voice)

     3rd Person     Dogs can be trained using a simple paper training method. (Passive voice)

2nd Person in a Process Essay
Readers of cookbooks, instruction manuals, textbooks, workbooks, and newspaper advice columns, along with visitors to astrologers, are looking for advice. They expect to be told what to do in a systematic way. They don't mind being told, in fact they expect to be told, to "use a simple paper training method" as in the example above. And they don't mind being addressed as "you."

It's entirely acceptable and common in recipes, instructions, and manuals for writers to order their readers about. "Blend the eggs with the milk," they say, or "Before you put the cake in the oven, set the timer so you won't forget," or "For better results, you'll want to use clarified butter." This approach, however, is not the only way to write a process essay.

Choose the Person That Suits the Essay

Getting back to that puppy, please understand you still have the entire range of persons at your command. Process essays don't have to be instruction manuals. They can be narratives that describe how a process took place or takes place. They can be descriptions of how others accomplish a process.

Which Person is This? Does it work?

Nothing can spoil the joy of your new puppy as completely as accidents in the house, but accidents aren't inevitable. House-train your new puppy using a simple paper training technique. First thing in the morning, or after dinner, when the puppy is likely to urinate, place it in an area covered with paper and praise it lavishly when you get the desired result. Gradually remove the paper until the puppy successfully uses just a single sheet.

Which Person is This? Does it work?

Nothing can spoil the joy of a new puppy as completely as accidents in the house, but accidents aren't inevitable. Puppies can be house-trained using a simple paper training technique. First thing in the morning, or after dinner, whenever the puppy is likely to urinate, the puppy is placed in an area covered with paper and praised lavishly when it performs. Gradually, the paper is removed until the puppy successfully uses just a single sheet.

Which Person is This? Does it work?

Nothing can spoil the joy of a new puppy as completely as accidents in the house, but accidents aren't inevitable. I've house-trained several puppies using a simple paper training technique. First thing in the morning, or after dinner, when the puppy is likely to urinate, I place it in an area covered with paper and praise it lavishly when I get the desired result. Gradually, I remove the paper until the puppy successfully uses just a single sheet.

Consistency is the Best and Safest Choice

My only other advice would be to choose one person and stick with it. But even that is flexible. You could write a first-person narrative in which you relate how you house-trained your puppy, mention in your essay how experts suggest the job be done, and end by advising your readers to "choose whichever method works best for you and your puppy." So, it's possible for writers with enough skill to blend 1st, 3rd, and 2nd person into one essay.