Ever get annoyed with writing reports in the third person impersonal all the time?

pfishfood

Does any one find writing lab reports in the third person impersonal form boring/depressing all the time?

I know the reason for doing it but i want to know is there anyone else that it bothers im talking now after doing 10+ reports this week:(

mawk

nope. but it bothered me quite silly when I had to do my final year project and my partners COULD NOT write in the dispassionate third person.

i had to edit 3 other people's sections because it was all filled with "so then me and timmy decided that TIG welding was the best thing to do"


waaaaaaah

Michael Collins

Yes. I know exactly what you mean. For reports and write-ups though, I'd strongly agree with it - it would get horrible reading personal nonsense in them after a while, all you want is the facts in that case. At the same time you can write in the 3rd person, without following the normal, boring descriptions...'factual writing' is often used as an excuse for lack of imagination.

For books though, I really think it helps when the author talks about themselves and what their opinion is, or what their research showed etc. It in some way personalizes what you're reading. It makes it more like they are there, talking about the subject matter with you. So when I read a passage written like that I tend to wake up, and pay a lot more attention... One cannot do that excessively however, or one would get frustrated at the style after a while, one would think.

KnifeWRENCH

I just hate writing lab reports full stop.

pfishfood

square_igloo wrote: »

I just hate writing lab reports full stop.

I think this is the route of my problems. Got 5 more to do mostly inorganic:( and environmental:rolleyes:. [sigh]