ACT English: Maintain Consistent Pronoun Person Throughout Passages

First person: I, we (the speaker/writer). "I learned that..." "We discovered..." Second person: you (the reader/listener). "You should know..." "You will find..." Third person: he, she, it, they, one (someone else, or general). "Students learn best..." "One should consider..." On ACT English, a passage often chooses one person at the start. Maintain that person throughout unless the context explicitly shifts (like quoting someone else).

Example of shift error: "When students study hard, you will succeed." Inconsistent: first sentence uses "students" (third person), second uses "you" (second person). Correct: "When students study hard, they will succeed" or "When you study hard, you will succeed." Pick one and stick to it.

Error 1: Starting in third person, shifting to second. "Employees must follow protocol. You should arrive on time." Fix: "Employees must follow protocol. They should arrive on time." Error 2: Starting in second person, shifting to third. "If you want to succeed, one should work hard." Fix: "If you want to succeed, you should work hard." Error 3: Starting in first person, shifting to second or third. "I learned that we should rest more, but you never prioritize sleep." Fix: "I learned that we should rest more, but we never prioritize sleep." ACT English frequently tests this by asking you to fix the inconsistent pronoun.

Strategy: Identify the person in the first sentence. Then scan for pronouns that don't match. Circle any inconsistencies.

Sentence 1: "When a customer calls, you should respond quickly." Inconsistency: "a customer" (third) but "you" (second). Fix: "When a customer calls, they should respond quickly" or "When you call, we respond quickly." Sentence 2: "Volunteers work hard. We appreciate their dedication." Inconsistency: "Volunteers" (third) but "We" (first). Fix: "Volunteers work hard. They appreciate their dedication" or "We volunteers work hard. We appreciate our dedication." For each fix, verify that all pronouns now match the opening person.

Bonus: Rewrite a paragraph from a textbook or article, changing all pronouns from third person to second person. Notice how the tone shifts from formal to direct.

ACT English values clear, consistent writing. Shifting pronoun person confuses readers and suggests careless writing. Expect 2-4 questions per English section that test pronoun person consistency, often disguised as word choice or style questions.

This week, reread an essay you've written and highlight all pronouns. Do they all use the same person? If not, revise for consistency. By test day, pronoun consistency will feel automatic, and you'll spot shifts instantly on ACT passages.