Reference > Usage > The Columbia Guide to Standard American English
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Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–).  The Columbia Guide to Standard American English.  1993.
 
present writer, present author, present commentator, present observer
 
 
and the like use the adjective present plus a noun as the subject of verbs such as think, conclude, or believe, thus avoiding use of the pronoun I and implying the objectivity of the opinion or conclusion. But overuse has made present writer a cliché, and the phrase can often add a ponderous stuffiness. In most contexts, the pronoun I is preferable.  1
 
 
The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press.

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