Would a tutorial be written in first person or second person?
I’m writing a user tutorial but I’m unsure as to what perspective it should be written from e.g. What is first and second? Tutorial is a friendly guide showing how the user should do x.
Example:
When viewing your file, there are special instructions you should be familiar with.
What are some particular instructions for viewing a spreadsheet or a text document?
What is the version of Windows where you want to have an installer?
…and refers to the version of the software you want when you join.
Which thing is the right answer to any question in my mind?
What exactly does it mean when someone speaks out about something?
With several written manuals, I can offer the following from experience. Consistency
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is very important. I just clicked the button ‘The user will click this button’ and then it disappeared. I was able to get it back because it is very easy. Do not disregard your progress of the calculation. So once the decision is made, stick with it. As an aside, this is an especially troublesome issue when the user manual is large and written by multiple stakeholders.)
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There are three options: first person (typically plural), second person (usually singular), and third person (either singular or plural). So I can’t help at all! The wrong choice is correct but there are different interpretations and needs.
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First person places attention on software creator, rather than the reader. A software is usually a bad idea, because the reader is interested in how the software will benefit/impact him, not how the software has been shaped by the author. This is usually a bad idea (my opinion), because the reader is interested in how the software will benefit/impact him, not how the software has been shaped by the author. Although using the “royal we” does little to assuage this.
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Second person is acceptable for somewhat less formal usage, but the repetition of “you” over and over becomes tiresome. Usually this ends up being simple imperative (“Click this button”), which is fine for many cases, including a sequence of directions.
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Third person is the most formal, and (my opinion) the most widely accepted for narrative, particularly formal official documentation. If you’re confused about step by step directions, it’s really difficult to follow them. What is the difference between a singular api and a single unit? What does it mean, if the author uses plural and singular forms in the same section, there should be a good reason for doing so (versus mere accidental inconsistency).
What is my preference, third person singular, for block text and narrative, and second person singular for directions? What can
I do after logging in to a web site? To perform x, the user must first perform task y. In order to do this, the user must first perform task X. The user can accomplish the task either from the menu bar or a navigation bar, as follows:
click button N.
Go through the terms and conditions carefully.
Acknowledge the terms and conditions by clicking OK.
Select an option from the navigation menu.
How are the different cities in the world?
With several written manuals, I can offer the following from experience. Consistency
-
is very important. I just clicked the button ‘The user will click this button’ and then it disappeared. I was able to get it back because it is very easy. Do not disregard your progress of the calculation. So once the decision is made, stick with it. As an aside, this is an especially troublesome issue when the user manual is large and written by multiple stakeholders.)
-
There are three options: first person (typically plural), second person (usually singular), and third person (either singular or plural). So I can’t help at all! The wrong choice is correct but there are different interpretations and needs.
-
First person places attention on software creator, rather than the reader. A software is usually a bad idea, because the reader is interested in how the software will benefit/impact him, not how the software has been shaped by the author. This is usually a bad idea (my opinion), because the reader is interested in how the software will benefit/impact him, not how the software has been shaped by the author. Although using the “royal we” does little to assuage this.
-
Second person is acceptable for somewhat less formal usage, but the repetition of “you” over and over becomes tiresome. Usually this ends up being simple imperative (“Click this button”), which is fine for many cases, including a sequence of directions.
-
Third person is the most formal, and (my opinion) the most widely accepted for narrative, particularly formal official documentation. If you’re confused about step by step directions, it’s really difficult to follow them. What is the difference between a singular api and a single unit? What does it mean, if the author uses plural and singular forms in the same section, there should be a good reason for doing so (versus mere accidental inconsistency).
What is my preference, third person singular, for block text and narrative, and second person singular for directions? What can
I do after logging in to a web site? To perform x, the user must first perform task y. In order to do this, the user must first perform task X. The user can accomplish the task either from the menu bar or a navigation bar, as follows:
click button N.
Go through the terms and conditions carefully.
Acknowledge the terms and conditions by clicking OK.
Select an option from the navigation menu.
How are the different cities in the world?
