Can You Use 'I' in IELTS Essays? First Person Rules Explained

Reading time: 12 minutes

"Don't use 'I' in academic writing."

If you've heard this advice, you're not alone. Many students believe personal pronouns are forbidden in IELTS essays. They tie themselves in knots trying to avoid them, often making their writing awkward and unnatural in the process.

Here's the truth: Yes, you can use 'I' in IELTS essays. But there are guidelines about when it's appropriate and when alternative constructions work better.

This guide clarifies exactly how to handle personal pronouns so you can write naturally while maintaining the academic register that examiners expect.

What the Official Guidelines Say

Let's look at what IELTS actually asks you to do. Every Task 2 question ends with this instruction:

"Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience."

Read that again: your own knowledge or experience.

IELTS explicitly invites you to draw on personal knowledge. It would be strange to discuss "your own experience" without ever using "I" or "my."

Furthermore, the marking criteria say nothing about penalising personal pronouns. There is no rule in Task Response, Coherence, Lexical Resource, or Grammatical Range that mentions avoiding first person.

When 'I' Is Appropriate

Stating Your Opinion

When the question asks for your opinion, use "I" to make your position clear:

• "I believe that..."
• "In my view..."
• "I agree that..."
• "In my opinion, this development is largely negative."

Clear opinion statements help your Task Response score because examiners can immediately see your position.

Giving Personal Examples

When illustrating a point with personal experience:

• "From my experience as a teacher, I have observed that..."
• "In my country, we have implemented similar policies..."

This type of evidence is specifically encouraged by the instructions.

Introduction Thesis Statements

Many high-scoring essays use first person in their thesis:

• "This essay will argue that... and I believe..."
• "In my opinion, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages because..."

Conclusion Restatements

Conclusions often restate your opinion:

• "In conclusion, I believe that..."
• "I am convinced that this approach would be more effective."

When to Avoid or Minimise 'I'

Throughout the Entire Essay

Using "I" in every sentence makes your essay sound like a personal diary rather than an academic argument:

Avoid: "I think technology is important. I believe it helps education. I feel that students should use computers. I know many people disagree with me, but I strongly feel..."

This overuse reduces formality and suggests you're offering mere opinion rather than reasoned argument.

Better approach: Use "I" in your introduction to state your position, then support that position with evidence and reasoning in your body paragraphs (which don't need first person).

In Task 1 Academic

Task 1 asks you to describe graphs, charts, or processes objectively. There's no place for personal opinion or "I":

• Avoid: "I can see that sales increased..."

• Better: "The graph shows that sales increased..."

• Avoid: "In my opinion, the most significant change was..."

• Better: "The most significant change was..."

When Presenting Facts

For factual statements, first person weakens your point:

• Avoid: "I think pollution causes health problems."
• Better: "Pollution causes health problems."

The second version is stronger because it presents the information as established fact rather than personal belief.

When Research or Evidence Supports You

Don't qualify well-supported arguments with "I think":

• Avoid: "I believe that exercise improves mental health."
• Better: "Exercise has been shown to improve mental health."

OR

• Better: "Research indicates that exercise improves mental health."

Alternatives to First Person

If you want to reduce "I" usage while still expressing opinions, try these constructions:

Impersonal Subjects

• "It is argued that..." (neutral, presents one view)
• "It is believed that..." (presents common opinion)
• "It could be argued that..." (tentative, hedged)

Passive Voice

• "This view is supported by..."
• "It can be seen that..."

Third Person Generalisation

• "Many people believe that..."
• "Some argue that..."
• "Critics contend that..."

Noun Phrases

• "This essay argues that..." (using "essay" as subject)
• "The evidence suggests that..."
• "This development indicates that..."

Important Warning

These alternatives can make your writing more formal, but they can also make it:

• Vague ("It is believed" - by whom?)
• Awkward (passive voice used excessively)
• Less direct (hiding your opinion when you should state it)

Don't sacrifice clarity for the sake of avoiding "I."

A clear "In my opinion, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages" is better than a convoluted "It is believed by this writer that the positive aspects may be considered to potentially outweigh the negative aspects."

The 'You' Question

"You" is more problematic than "I" because it directly addresses the reader, which is considered informal in academic writing.

Avoid in formal essays:

• "If you want to improve your health, you should exercise."
• "You can see from the graph that..."

Better alternatives:

• "Those who want to improve their health should exercise."
• "It is evident from the graph that..."
• "People who wish to improve their health should exercise."

Exception: "You" can work when making universal statements:

• "When you travel abroad, you experience different cultures." (general "you" meaning "anyone")

But it's safer to rephrase:

• "Travelling abroad exposes people to different cultures."

The 'We' Question

"We" falls between "I" (acceptable) and "you" (risky). It can work in certain contexts:

Acceptable uses:

Referring to society in general:

• "We live in an increasingly connected world."
• "We face unprecedented environmental challenges."

Referring to your country/community:

• "In my country, we have seen significant changes in education."

Risky uses:

The "royal we" (meaning "I"):

• Avoid: "We believe this is the best solution." (Just say "I believe...")

Assuming the reader shares your view:

• Avoid: "We all know that..." (presumptuous)

Band Score Implications

Band 5-6 Issue: Using "I" too frequently, making the essay feel like personal opinion rather than reasoned argument.

Band 7+ Approach: Using "I" strategically in introduction and conclusion for clear positioning, while supporting arguments in body paragraphs with evidence and reasoning rather than repeated "I think."

Example of Band 7 Balance:

Introduction: "This essay agrees that governments should prioritise environmental protection over economic growth."

Body paragraph: "Investing in renewable energy creates significant long-term economic benefits. Countries that have adopted green energy policies, such as Denmark and Germany, have developed thriving industries in wind and solar technology. These industries generate employment and export revenue, demonstrating that environmental policies and economic success are not mutually exclusive."

Conclusion: "In conclusion, I firmly believe that environmental protection should take priority, as short-term economic concerns cannot justify long-term planetary damage."

Notice: "I" appears twice (introduction and conclusion) while the body paragraph develops the argument without first person.

Quick Reference Guide

Practical Exercise

Rewrite these sentences to be more appropriate for IELTS essays:

1. "I think you should exercise more if you want to be healthy."
2. "I can see from the chart that sales went up."
3. "We all know that technology is important."
4. "I believe I believe I believe pollution is bad."

Suggested answers:

1. "Regular exercise is essential for maintaining good health." OR "Those who wish to improve their health should exercise regularly."

2. "The chart shows/indicates/reveals that sales increased."

3. "It is widely accepted that technology plays an important role in modern society." OR Simply: "Technology plays an important role in modern society."

4. "Pollution poses a significant threat to public health and the environment." (Remove repetition, state as fact)

The Bottom Line

The question isn't really "Can I use 'I'?" but "How should I use 'I'?"

Do:

• Use "I" to state your opinion clearly
• Use "I" when drawing on personal experience
• Place first-person opinions mainly in introduction and conclusion

Don't:

• Use "I" in every sentence
• Use "I" in Task 1 Academic reports
• Use "you" to address the reader
• Sacrifice clarity to avoid first person

Write naturally, position your opinion clearly, and support your arguments with reasoning. That's what earns high marks - not avoiding a perfectly acceptable pronoun.

Key Takeaways:

1. Yes, you can use "I" in IELTS essays - the instructions explicitly encourage personal input
2. Use "I" strategically in introduction and conclusion for clear positioning
3. Body paragraphs work better with evidence and reasoning than repeated "I think"
4. Avoid "you" addressing the reader; it's too informal
5. Don't create awkward sentences just to avoid first person
6. Task 1 Academic should not use "I" (objective description)

Stop worrying about pronouns. Start focusing on arguments.

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