Firsthand and Secondhand Accounts

Compare an account written by someone who was there with one written by someone who was not.

A firsthand account is written by someone who saw or experienced an event, such as a diary, a letter, or an interview. It uses words like I, me, and we, and shares feelings and close details. A secondhand account is written by someone who was not there, such as an encyclopedia entry or a news report written later. It uses he, she, and they, and often gives more facts, dates, and background.

Compare: 'I felt the ground shake, and our dishes rattled off the shelf. I grabbed my little sister and hid under the table. ' versus 'The earthquake struck at 6:12 a. m. and was felt across three counties. ' The first shows feelings; the second gives the bigger picture. Reading both gives fuller understanding.

• 1Firsthand = by someone who was there (I, we).
• 2Secondhand = by someone who was not there (he, they).
• 3Firsthand gives feelings; secondhand gives the bigger picture.