How to Write in Third-Person to Engage Your Readers

Do you ever read an academic paper in which some sentences have “I” or “me”?

Obviously not!

In every piece of writing, narratives play a major role. 

You should choose them according to the type of writing you’re going to start, whether it’s an essay, a blog, or marketing copy.

For this, it is necessary to know what these narratives or points of view are.

We use these narratives daily, but I’m sure most people can’t differentiate between first, second, and third-person points of view.

First, I’ll discuss the other narratives, and then I’ll start explaining every crucial point about the third-person point of view. 

So, by the end of this article, you’ll learn and understand efficiently what the third-person perspective is and how to write it to engage your readers.

What is a third-person point of view (POV)?

Sara doesn’t know how to write in French, so she learned the language.

From this sentence, you may get an idea of what I’ve written.

If not, don’t worry! I’ll bring it to your attention.

In the third-person point of view, the writer or narrator uses names or third-person pronouns (he, she, him, her, they, them, etc.) to tell a story.

It is often used in academic writing, novels, stories, and fiction.

Now let’s also understand what first and second-person narratives are. This will help you differentiate better between these POVs.

First-person:

I love reading books. It helps me improve my English.

This sentence shows a first-person perspective. Basically, in this POV, we talk about our perspective.

First-person pronouns: I, me, mine, and myself.

Second-person:

If you read books, it will help you improve your English.

You can see the second-person narrative in this sentence. Here, you talk to the person you’re addressing.

Second-person pronouns: You, your, yourself.

Now you should be clear about the basic differences among them. So, let’s move to the next section

Types of third-person point of view

Here are the three types of third-person narrative:

1. Third-person limited point of view

Let’s assume you write a story in a third-person limited point of view. 

What will you do?

You should stick closely to one character, almost like being in their head. 

You can use "he" or "she" but it doesn't reveal everything. This makes the story interesting and keeps readers curious.

For example, in “The Giver”, the story focuses on Jonas and his experiences in his society. Readers learn about his world and its secrets as he discovers them. They see everything from his perspective.

In this third-person POV type, you can change characters from chapter to chapter. Each time, we’ll see things through a different character's eyes. 

This way, you control what the reader knows. You build suspense and keep them engaged by focusing on one character at a time.

2. Third-person omniscient point of view

Imagine you’re a narrator who knows everything about the story and its characters. 

Using third-person omniscient POV, you’ll let readers look into everyone’s thoughts and feelings. 

As a narrator, you can jump between minds, sharing insights and secrets that others might miss. 

For example, you write one paragraph. It could show the main character’s feelings. And in the next paragraph, you reveal how another character reacts. 

This style is great. It builds tension among readers and shows different viewpoints. 

Think of stories like “The Chronicles of Narnia.” In this story, the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters. This enhances the moral elements of the story.

3. Third-person objective point of view

Here you tell a story without revealing any character’s thoughts or feelings. 

In the third-person objective point of view, think of yourself as an observer. Where you simply share actions and dialogue without explanation. 

Let’s take an example here. In "The Lottery Ticket," Anton Chekhov shares the story that focuses on the conversation and reactions. 

Assume you’re watching through a window. You just see and hear to figure out what’s happening.

Well! This POV is really effective. It will keep your readers curious and focused on the story’s events, not the characters’ inner lives.

When should you write in third-person?

Until now, you’ve learned alot about third-person narrative. 

Now, let’s see when you should write in third-person perspective. It’s a great way to tell a story. 

Third-person POV is commonly used in academic writing. But especially when you want to sound trustworthy. 

So, always choose the third-person narrative when writing explanatory essays or research papers. 

This way, your writing feels less personal and more objective. It will make you look more credible and fair. Also helping you to engage your readers. 

Along with this, use our plagiarism checker to show that your writing is honest and reliable. Sometimes, we accidentally copy from other sources. So, this tool will help you out to all types of plagiarism from your text to make it credible. 

As I’ve discussed three types of third-person writing above: omniscient, limited, and objective. 

However, all these types are often used in creative writing and academic work. They usually use the third-person objective point of view. 

What does it mean?

This means you share your research and findings without letting your personal opinions get in the way. 

How to write in third-person narrative? 

When you structure your writing, the most difficult thing is to make it engaging. And if you write in third-person perspective, it is a bit more tough to engage your reader. 

So, here I’m going to discuss 7 tips. It will definitely help you to write in third-person to engage your readers. 

1. Be specific in your third-person writing

Do you write specifically?

If not, you should!

Be specific while writing in third-person. It’s the key to keep your readers engaged. 

It can be easy to rely on pronouns like he, she, or they. But when you start sentences with these pronouns, it can make your writing unclear. 

Instead, use specific nouns right at the start. 

Let me explain this point with an example, 

Instead of saying, “He explained the process.” 

You could say, “The researcher explained the process.” 

Here I specify by using “The researcher.” 

You can also use our online paragraph generator to write specifically. Just give this tool a prompt, what kind of text you want. And it will generate a great and meaningful paragraph for your piece of writing. 

This way, your readers know exactly who or what you’re talking about from the very beginning. 

2. Focus on the content, not on yourself or the reader

In your academic books, you have seen that they were written in third-person. 

This makes those books more authentic and factful.

So, keep the focus on the content instead of mentioning yourself or the reader. 

In academic writing, this approach sounds more objective and professional. 

For example, instead of saying, “I believe this study shows the benefits of exercise,” you could say, “The study shows the benefits of exercise.”

This style allows the facts to stand alone, without personal bias. 

By doing this, you help readers focus fully on the information and make your writing sound more trustworthy.

3. Choose the right third-person point of view 

If you pick the right third-person perspective it will help you to set the right tone for your story. 

Let’s say, you use third-person limited POV. In which you’ll reveal only what one character knows. This keeps readers close to that character. 

While, in third-person omniscience, the narrator knows everything about all characters. This works well for complex stories. 

Well! If you need a more neutral tone, use a third-person objective. Where only actions and dialogue are shared, not thoughts. 

Choosing the best point of view for your writing style makes it clearer and more engaging for readers. Moreover, you should also make sure that your content is readable. To ensure this, use our readability checker. This tool will make your text easy to read, allowing more readers to engage with it. 

4. Use present tense in academic writing 

Do you ever think about which tense you have to use?

Well! If you use present tense, it makes your academic writing feel more current and active. 

When you’re going to describe your topics, you should use present tense. 

Like you can write, “This paper examines the significant trends in social behaviour.” or “The study explores the significant trends in social behaviour.” 

This keeps the content relevant. 

However, if you’re talking about actions you completed in the past, use past tense.

Such as “The experiment was conducted to examine the significant trends in social behaviour.” 

So, if you balance the tenses this way, it makes your writing clear and easy to follow. This will allow readers to stay connected to your ideas. 

To make your writing further effective, use our AI paraphraser. This tool will rewrite your existing text and make it more clear and engaging. 

5. Avoid personal opinions in third-person narration 

In academic writing, avoid adding personal opinions. 

Let’s take an example here, instead of saying, “I feel this is important,” try, “The results suggest this is important.” 

Allow readers to draw their own conclusions from the facts you present. 

This approach adds to the credibility of your work. The readers see you as neutral and professional. 

If you keep the focus on objective information, it will make your writing more reliable.

6. Use third-person pronouns consistently

Try to use third-person pronouns, like “he,” “she,” “it,” and “they,” consistently. 

It helps to keep your writing smooth and professional. 

However, if you want to keep your reader from getting confused, use names or third-person pronouns instead of “I” or “we”. 

For example, rather than repeating, “The scientist observed…,” say, “She observed the reactions of the chemicals in the experiment.”

This approach helps your writing flow better and maintains a clear point of view that readers can follow easily.

7. Stay in third-person narrative without slipping into first-person

What do you understand from this point?

Not much?

Ok! Let me explain!

It can be tempting to switch to first-person when you’re close to the topic. But the most important thing is to stick with the third-person narrative. 

So, avoid using words like “I” or “my.” It makes your writing feel less objective. 

After writing, check your draft to find out any accidental first-person phrases. If you notice any, switch them to third-person. 

Conclusion

When you write in third-person, you’re doing more than just telling a story. 

You’re presenting facts in a way that builds trust. This approach makes your work sound more professional.

I’ve discussed some tips above, they will make such a difference. 

Try them out! You’ll notice readers stay more engaged because the content will feel objective and well-created. 

So, practise these methods, and you’ll see how powerful and smooth third-person writing can be!

Frequently asked question

How can I engage readers in third-person narrative?

Be specific, use descriptive nouns, and highlight character actions to make the narrative interesting and relatable for readers.

What role does tense play in writing?

Use present tense for current relevance and past tense for completed actions to keep readers engaged with your ideas.

How do I stay objective in third-person?

Focus on facts and evidence instead of personal beliefs. It enhances credibility and helps readers trust your presented information.