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Asked by Anna Cabral on September 10, 2020
Hi Jerry
I'm writing a book of advice talking about my own experiences and what I learned from God in motherhood. I don't want to sound preachy so I'm just telling my stories and what I learned. However, is it ok to use "as people we", "as westerns" or "as a society we"?
Thank you!
Jerry's Answer
Anna, I never write nonfiction to a group. People don't want to be part of we. You're writing to one person at a time. So, rather than write, "As a people we..." try, "You may be one who..." And rather than, "Westerners..." write, "As a Westerner, you..." And I would simply avoid phrases like, "As a society..." That's way too broad and general. Maybe more like, "If you're like a lot of people in our society, you may..."