What is the correct term for the style of writing used on resumes that does not have a subject?
On resumes, I frequently see a style of writing like the following:
Acme Corp -- Contraption Designer
Designed systems for catching road runners. Coordinated with clients for delivery in remote locations. Collected statistics on system efficacy.
The writing here does not actually include a subject, instead the "I" is implied. This is similar to an imperative sentence but instead in the past tense.
I found one source that called this "first person implied", but the source does not seem to be very reputable.
Is there a term for this sort of writing? Are there any style guides for it?
Solution 1:
Linguistic sources call it a null subject, subject pronoun drop, or diary drop:
- Subject pronoun drop in informal English
- Diary Null Subjects: A relevance theory perspective
- Adult Null Subjects in the non-pro-drop Languages
As the first source explains, “diary drop” is a more specific term used for this phenomenon in written language: “subject pronouns can frequently be dropped in certain registers of written English, such as diaries but also including text messages, emails, and other forms of informal communication”.