Points of View 1 st Person Point of View 2 nd Person Point of View 3 rd Person Point of View 3 rd Person Objective 3 rd Person Limited 3 Person Omniscient

First Person Point of View The narrator is one of the characters in the story. First person pronouns, such as I, me, my, and mine are used in telling the story. Since the narrator is a character in the story, he/she may not be completely reliable. We find out only what this character knows, thinks, and witnesses.

As I walked up the hill, I realized that the atmosphere was just too quiet. There was no sound from the cardinal who was nearly always singing from the top of the maple tree. I thought I saw a shadow move high up on the slope, but when I looked again it was gone. Still, I shuddered as I felt a silent threat pass over me like a cloud over the sun.

How do you know? This selection is written in first person. I know this because the narrator is one of the characters in the story and the author uses first person pronouns, such as I and me in telling the story. The author writes, “As I walked up the hill, I realized that the atmosphere was just too quiet.” This tells me the narrator is a character in the story, hence the story is told in 1 st person point of view.

Second Person Point of View Pronouns such as you, your, and yours are used. Most stories are not told in second person. It is reserved for items of personal address, such as letters.

Before each practice begins, make sure you check the court and remove any debris from the playing surface. When your players arrive, check that they have the proper footwear and that they’ve removed any jewelry, which could injure the player wearing the jewelry or another player. Always carry a list of emergency phone numbers for your players, and know where the nearest phone is located. You should also have a first-aid kit, and you might want to take a first- aid course.

How do you know? This selection is written in second person. I know this because the author uses pronouns such as you and your. The author writes, “Before each practice begins, make sure you check the court and remove any debris from the playing surface.” This tells me directions are being given thus the piece is written in 2 nd person.

3 rd Person Point of view

Third Person Objective The narrator is not a character in the story. Third person pronouns such as he, his, she, hers, it, its, they, and them are used in telling the story. The narrator is an observer who can only tell what is said and done. The narrator cannot see into the minds of any of the characters. We find out only what the characters say and do.

The girl walked up the quiet hillside. In the top of the maple tree, the cardinal tipped his head back and drew breath to sing. A dead branch cracked on the ground below the bird's perch. The man stepped on the branch and rattled the blades of grass as he moved behind the tree. He watched the girl come up the hillside toward him. Her gaze shifted quickly and warily from one shadowy area high on the slope to another, and she shuddered.

How do you know? This selection is written in third person objective. I know this because the narrator is not a character in the story and the author uses pronouns such as he and her in telling the story. The author writes, “ The man stepped on the branch and rattled the blades of grass as he moved behind the tree.” The narrator is an observer who can only tell what is said and done and cannot see into the minds of any of the characters, hence the story is written in 3 rd person objective point of view.

Third Person Limited The narrator is not a character in the story. Third person pronouns such as he, his, she, hers, it, its, they, and them are used in telling the story. The narrator tells the story from the vantage point of one character. The narrator can see into this character’s mind, but not any of the other characters. We find out only what this character does, knows, thinks, and witnesses.

Leaving the church, she felt the wind rise, felt the pinprick of pebble and grit against her stockings and her cheeks—the slivered shards of mad sunlight in her eyes. She paused, still on the granite steps, touched the brim of her hat and the flying hem of her skirt—felt the wind rush up her cuffs and rattle her sleeves. She squinted against the sunlight on taxi hoods and bus windows, heard the rushing now of air and of taxis, wheezing buses, and underneath it all something banging—a loosened street sign, a trapped can, a distant hammer. The march of time.

How do you know? This selection is written in third person limited. I know this because the writer is not a character in the story, uses words like "she" and "he," and can only see into this character’s mind. The narrator shows the main character, a woman, fighting against the wind as she walks and thinks about her life. The narrator only knows what this character thinks and feels. This tells me the story is 3 rd person limited point of view.

Third Person Omniscient The narrator is not a character in the story Third person pronouns such as he, his, she, hers, it, its, they, and them are used in telling the story. The narrator tells the story from the vantage point of more than one character. The narrator can see into more than one character’s mind. We find out what more than one character does, knows, thinks, and witnesses.

Gloria and Amelia were stuck in the middle of the third fight they had engaged in that week. Neither one was willing to give up, call the other, and apologize. Gloria thought she would be giving up too much if she did that. After all, she did have some pride. Amelia knew that Gloria was too proud to call up and apologize like she was supposed to, and for once, she was not going to cave-in and let Gloria win another round.

How do you know? This selection is written in third person omniscient. I know this because the writer is not a character in the story, uses words like "she" and "he," and knows the thoughts and feeling of all of the characters. The author writes, “Gloria thought she would be giving up too much if she did that.” The author also states, “Amelia knew that Gloria was too proud to call up and apologize like she was supposed to….” This shows that the narrator can see into more than one character’s mind thus the story is 3 rd person omniscient point of view.

Whose Point of View is It?  The point of view that an author chooses to tell the story affects how we see the events and character in the story.  In every story, there is a person who is telling the story.  There are two main points of view:  First Person  Third Person ( usually limited)

Point of View  Let’s say there was an unfortunate fight in the gym this morning. Now depending on who you ask, you may get two opposing explanations of what really happened.  When we refer to point of view in writing, this means that there can be as many different versions of the story as there are people in it.  That’s what makes selecting who tells a story one of the most important decisions an author can make.  Essentially, the point of view the story (or news article, magazine article, etc.) is told in, can either be taken as fact or opinion, but overall, point of view can totally affect how we as readers respond to the story.  Just as if there was a fight in the gym this morning, I bet you would want to hear both sides of the story so that you could make your own decision as to which point of view to believe. The same goes for books or news articles we read.  Whatever point of view they are written in will affect how we as readers feel about the characters or events involved.