Storytelling

What do courses, tutorials, and newsletters have in common? They all need a bit of storytelling to prevent people from falling asleep. And in storytelling, there are grammatical persons. Notice how the words "I, we, us, you" are used. Did you know there is intention behind that?

First Person

Let me start with the first person. When I want to tell you my opinion or express that I am doing something, I use the first person.

Examples:

• I start by creating a class.
• I check if everything still works.
• I think frameworks are overused.

It is clear that this is about me. But I can also use it to include you and make a group out of us.

Examples:

• We are now ready to connect everything.
• We were able to delete 50 percent of the code.

The first person feels intimate and close.

Third Person

Then there is the third person. I can use this to create distance between us and them.

Examples:

• They will always start with this sentence.
• Some say they understand dynamically typed languages, but they do not.
• He was great at debugging.

I use the third person to create contrast between myself and others. It is a great way to put a fence around their ideas and explain how they differ from mine.

Second Person

Then there is the second person. In novels, this is very rare because it addresses the reader directly. This article is full of the second person.

Examples:

• Notice how...
• Look at the...
• Add parameter x to the method.

You know the second person from instruction manuals. It is a good way to guide people. Do not be afraid of sounding direct. By giving tutorial followers clear commands, you are saying: I do not want to waste your time. Do this, and you will reach the goal as quickly as possible.

The next time you watch a tutorial or read instructions, notice the person they use. Is it first? second? Do they mix it up?