Last updated on December 2nd, 2025 at 04:34 pm
When you write “In this essay, I will…”, you’re telling your reader what you’re going to do. It’s a clear and straightforward statement, but it’s also very common and can sound a little stale or overly academic.
Switching it up helps you sound more confident, natural, and varied—especially in different contexts like formal reports, friendly blog posts, business documents, or spoken presentations.
Using the right alternative phrase affects your tone, sets the right expectation, and shows your command of English. In this article you’ll learn what the phrase means, when it’s appropriate, and over 20 alternatives you can use—with examples, usage tips, and tone advice.
What Does “In This Essay, I Will” Mean?
This phrase works like a brief roadmap. You’re announcing the main action of your essay: for example, to discuss, argue, examine, or compare something. Grammatically, it’s a prepositional phrase (“in this essay”) followed by the subject (“I”) and the modal verb “will” plus a main verb (“discuss”, “explore”, “argue”). It means: “In the text you are reading, I (the writer) am going to perform this action.”
When to Use “In This Essay, I Will”
- Formal written contexts: academic essays, research papers, reports.
- Introductory paragraphs where you explicitly set out your aims.
- Less appropriate for informal writing or spoken English, because it can sound stiff.
- Use when you want clarity about your intent. For example: “In this essay, I will compare…”.
Is It Professional / Polite to Say “In This Essay, I Will”?
Yes—in formal contexts it’s acceptable and often used. However:
- It can feel formulaic or weak if overused. gavinsgrammartorium.wordpress.com+2Wiktionary+2
- In business or corporate writing, the first person (“I will”) may seem too personal; often the passive or third person (“This paper will…”, “We will…”) is preferred.
- In casual or conversational writing, it may sound unnatural or overly stiff.
Pros and Cons of Using “In This Essay, I Will”
Pros
- Clear and direct about your intention.
- Sets the reader’s expectations right away.
- Good scaffolding for less experienced writers.
Cons
- Predictable and unoriginal.
- Can sound formal or academic even when you don’t intend it.
- May draw focus to the writer (“I”) rather than the content.
- In some writing styles it is considered mild-style and could weaken the impact. gavinsgrammartorium.wordpress.com+1
20 Alternative Phrases (With Examples)
Below are 20 alternatives you can use instead of “In this essay, I will…”. For each: the phrase, its meaning, explanation, example sentence, best use, worst use, tone.
- Phrase: “This essay examines…”
Meaning: This essay will look into something.
Explanation: Removes the “I will”; focuses directly on the essay.
Example: “This essay examines the causes of global warming.”
Best Use: Formal, academic.
Worst Use: Informal conversation/blog.
Tone: Formal. - Phrase: “Here I explore…”
Meaning: I (the writer) look into something here.
Explanation: Slightly informal, more immediate.
Example: “Here I explore how remote work affects team dynamics.”
Best Use: Semi-formal writing, blogs with some professionalism.
Worst Use: Very formal academic journal.
Tone: Neutral-friendly. - Phrase: “In what follows, I discuss…”
Meaning: In the paragraphs ahead, I talk about…
Explanation: Formal and elegant transition.
Example: “In what follows, I discuss the significance of cyber-security in small business.”
Best Use: Formal essays, reports.
Worst Use: Text messages or casual blog.
Tone: Formal. - Phrase: “This paper argues that…”
Meaning: This article asserts that…
Explanation: Good when the essay has an argument or thesis.
Example: “This paper argues that employee engagement is the key to productivity.”
Best Use: Academic, business research.
Worst Use: Personal blog post with informal tone.
Tone: Professional. - Phrase: “My aim is to…”
Meaning: My goal is to…
Explanation: Focuses on writer’s intention.
Example: “My aim is to compare traditional marketing and digital marketing strategies.”
Best Use: Semi-formal academic, business proposals.
Worst Use: Very casual or conversational writing.
Tone: Neutral-professional. - Phrase: “I intend to explore…”
Meaning: I plan to examine…
Explanation: Soft, polite way to state your intention.
Example: “I intend to explore the impact of AI on job roles.”
Best Use: Formal, when you want to sound thoughtful.
Worst Use: Where you need strong, direct action verbs.
Tone: Thoughtful, formal. - Phrase: “This article highlights…”
Meaning: This piece points out or emphasizes…
Explanation: Good when you want to emphasise key points rather than in-depth argument.
Example: “This article highlights recent trends in e-commerce.”
Best Use: Business blogs, white papers.
Worst Use: Deep academic research needing full argument structure.
Tone: Business-friendly. - Phrase: “In the following pages I will analyze…”
Meaning: In the text that follows, I will break down…
Explanation: Slightly verbose—best in formal writing.
Example: “In the following pages I will analyze the cultural impact of social media.”
Best Use: Academic thesis, formal report.
Worst Use: Short blog post or article.
Tone: Formal. - Phrase: “This essay sets out to…”
Meaning: This essay begins with the intention to…
Explanation: Slightly old-fashioned but correct in formal writing.
Example: “This essay sets out to evaluate the success of the Paris Agreement.”
Best Use: Academic writing.
Worst Use: Casual email or informal blog post.
Tone: Formal. - Phrase: “I will examine…”
Meaning: I will look at…
Explanation: Short and direct.
Example: “I will examine the ethical issues in cloning technology.”
Best Use: Formal but clear, presentations.
Worst Use: Overly casual contexts where “we’ll look at” is better.
Tone: Formal. - Phrase: “In this discussion I explain…”
Meaning: During this piece I explain…
Explanation: Slightly less formal than “essay”.
Example: “In this discussion I explain how blockchain works.”
Best Use: Semi-formal blogs, explanatory texts.
Worst Use: Very casual social media post.
Tone: Neutral. - Phrase: “This piece will outline…”
Meaning: This writing will provide an outline or overview of…
Explanation: Good for summaries or overview pieces.
Example: “This piece will outline the major policies of the new government.”
Best Use: Business newsletters, blog posts.
Worst Use: Deep dives that need strong argument.
Tone: Friendly-professional. - Phrase: “I explore…”
Meaning: I investigate…
Explanation: Direct and active voice.
Example: “I explore how climate change influences migration patterns.”
Best Use: Semi-formal writing, blog or article.
Worst Use: Extremely formal academic style where passive voice is expected.
Tone: Neutral. - Phrase: “This essay addresses…”
Meaning: This essay deals with or focuses on…
Explanation: Good when you identify a problem or topic.
Example: “This essay addresses the consequences of data breaches in healthcare.”
Best Use: Academic, reports.
Worst Use: Casual writing.
Tone: Formal. - Phrase: “I discuss…”
Meaning: I talk about or examine…
Explanation: Straightforward and active.
Example: “I discuss the role of leadership in organizational change.”
Best Use: Semi-formal writing.
Worst Use: Very formal contexts needing more elevated tone.
Tone: Neutral-friendly. - Phrase: “In this paper I argue…”
Meaning: In this text I make the case that…
Explanation: Indicates you have a thesis or position.
Example: “In this paper I argue that renewable energy will become cheaper than fossil fuels within a decade.”
Best Use: Academic research.
Worst Use: Casual blog where you’re simply sharing ideas.
Tone: Formal, assertive. - Phrase: “We will examine…”
Meaning: We (writer and reader) will look at…
Explanation: Inclusive; good when addressing the reader directly.
Example: “We will examine the benefits and drawbacks of remote learning.”
Best Use: Business presentations, lectures, semi-formal blog.
Worst Use: Formal academic essays where first person may be avoided.
Tone: Friendly-professional. - Phrase: “Let us explore…”
Meaning: Let’s (together) investigate…
Explanation: More conversational, invites the reader in.
Example: “Let us explore how smartphones have reshaped social life.”
Best Use: Informal blog posts, workshops, talks.
Worst Use: Very formal academic writing.
Tone: Friendly-casual. - Phrase: “In short, this essay will…”
Meaning: Briefly, this text will…
Explanation: Use when you want to summarise the aim succinctly.
Example: “In short, this essay will argue for the importance of arts education.”
Best Use: Introductory section of semi-formal writing.
Worst Use: Where you need more elaborate phrasing and formality.
Tone: Neutral. - Phrase: “This study explores…”
Meaning: This research or investigation looks at…
Explanation: Good in research contexts, technical writing.
Example: “This study explores consumer behaviour in virtual reality environments.”
Best Use: Academic, research papers, business white-papers.
Worst Use: Casual blog or everyday email.
Tone: Professional-formal. - Phrase: “The following pages examine…”
Meaning: The text that follows will look at…
Explanation: Slightly formal and evocative of printed reports.
Example: “The following pages examine the regulatory framework of fintech in Pakistan.”
Best Use: Formal reports, dissertations.
Worst Use: Short online articles or informal posts.
Tone: Formal. - Phrase: “This discussion aims to…”
Meaning: This writing has the goal of…
Explanation: Emphasises purpose rather than action.
Example: “This discussion aims to clarify the misconceptions around mental health in the workplace.”
Best Use: Semi-formal academic or business.
Worst Use: Very casual chat or social media post.
Tone: Neutral-professional.
Feel free to mix and adapt these. The “+” in “22+” reminds you that you can invent your own variation, such as “This commentary explores…”, “In what follows I focus on…”, etc.
Comparison Table: Top Alternatives by Tone & Use
| Phrase | Tone | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| This essay examines… | Formal | Academic essay |
| Here I explore… | Neutral-friendly | Semi-formal blog/article |
| Let us explore… | Friendly-casual | Informal blog/talk |
| This paper argues that… | Professional | Research/business report |
| We will examine… | Friendly-professional | Presentation, business |
FAQs
Q1. Can I still use “In this essay, I will…”?
Yes—you can. It’s clear and correct. But consider whether changing it might make your writing more engaging or appropriate to your audience.
Q2. Why avoid too many “I will” phrases?
Because repeating the same structure makes your writing predictable and flat. Using alternatives adds variety and tone-flexibility.
Q3. What if I’m writing informally?
Use more conversational phrasing, like “In this post I’ll…” or “Let’s look at…”. Formal alternatives may sound stiff.
Q4. Does changing the phrase change the meaning?
Mostly no—most alternatives mean the same thing: you’re telling the reader what you will do. But slight nuance shifts (aim, argue, examine) can affect expectation.
Q5. Is it okay to use first person (“I”) in academic writing?
It depends on the style guide. Some academic writing avoids “I”. If you use first person, make sure it’s purposeful and not just filler. gavinsgrammartorium.wordpress.com
Conclusion
Mixing up how you say “In this essay, I will…” helps you sound more fluent, versatile, and engaging.
Whether you write for class, for your job, or for a blog, you’ve seen over 20 alternative phrases you can pull into your toolbox today.
Try one that fits your context, tone, and audience—and watch your writing sound fresher and more confident.
David Jonson is an experienced English language writer who specializes in clear, practical, and learner-friendly content. He helps students and professionals improve their communication skills with confidence.