At certain times and in certain documents, addressing the reader as “you” is acceptable. When writing a letter, for example, addressing the reader is common. Many of your business documents will be to a specific person and you will use “you” to address your reader.
The problem with addressing the reader as “you” comes when the writer does not mean the reader specifically. “You” is often used to make generalizations but can make for confusing and inaccurate sentences.
For example, the following sample sentence appeared in a memo to a professor:
- I have found that with the general business degree you can find a decent job.
The author is writing to a professor, so it is unlikely that the professor is looking for job opportunities presented by a general business degree. The author either means to generalize or refer to him/herself. Therefore, either of the following examples is more accurate:
- I can find a decent job with a general business degree.
- People with general business degrees can find decent jobs.
Writers should pay careful attention to their intended meaning and use either first person (I, me) or third person (they, people) in their writing. Do you (the reader of this document) mean to address your reader?
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