Reading Comprehension Success in 20 Minutes a Day, 3rd Edition

Paragraph A
Imagine how wonderful it would be if local
residents had access to a community garden. Rather
than gardening in isolation, residents would come
together in an appealing designated spot to plant a
bountiful garden. They would be given a plot of
land within the large garden to plant as they see fit.
They could plant flowers, vegetables, herbs, or any
other greenery they desire. The requirement would
be that they spend at least one hour in the garden
every week and that they bring a few gardening
implements to share, such as watering cans, gar-
dening gloves, fertilizer, and shovels. The benefits of
a community garden would be numerous. Residents
would have access to land to garden they might not
otherwise have. They would be part of a worthwhile
and rewarding community activity that would allow
them to meet other residents who love gardening
and who might have excellent gardening skills and
hints to share. Additionally, a community garden
would be a wonderful oasis in the middle of our busy
town where residents can come to walk, sit, or just
enjoy the company of neighbors in a lush and
friendly setting.
Or, the writer could use the second-person point
of view to express the same ideas:
Paragraph B
Imagine how wonderful it would be if you had
access to a community garden. Rather than garden-
ing in isolation, you would come together in an
appealing designated spot to plant a bountiful gar-
den. You would be given a plot of land within the
large garden to plant as you see fit. You could plant
flowers, vegetables, herbs, or any other greenery you
desire. The requirement would be that you spend at
least one hour in the garden every week and that you
bring a few gardening implements to share, such as
watering cans, gardening gloves, fertilizer, and shov-
els. The benefits of a community garden would be
numerous. You would have access to land to garden
you might not otherwise have. You would be part of
a worthwhile and rewarding community activity
that would allow you to meet other residents who
love gardening and who might have excellent gar-
dening skills and hints to share. Additionally, a com-
munity garden would be a wonderful oasis in the
middle of our busy town where you can come to
walk, sit, or just enjoy the company of neighbors in
a lush and friendly setting.
Did you notice the differences between the para-
graphs? What pronouns does each paragraph use?