POV Basics

POV Basics

First Person

The narrator tells their own story. Uses words like I, me, my, ours, we, etc.

Example: I went to the park with my friend Brendan. He did a flip off of a tree and I thought it was pretty cool.

Multiple Choice

The following text is first person.

After going to bed, Caydie couldn't sleep. She kept hearing a strange sound in the hallway.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The following text is first person.

I don't usually get upset over small things, but yesterday everything seemed to bother me.

• True

• False

Second Person

In second person, the narrator describes what you are doing, or what you should be doing using the words you, your, you've, you're, etc.

Example: The first thing you need to do is open the package, but be careful, the plastic can be sharp.

Multiple Choice

The following is second person.

Alexandra and Susan are constantly fighting! Alexandra thinks that Susan is jealous of her, and Susan thinks that Alexandra is stuck up.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The following is second person.

After you take out a piece of paper, write your name on the top.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Is the following first or second person?

I can't believe it happened again. The technology issues this year are driving me crazy!

• First

• Second

Third person or Third Person Omniscient

The narrator tells the story of multiple characters AND is able to see what's happening in the heads of more than one character. Uses names, she, he, they, them her, him, etc.

Example: Ms. Flaherty thought her lesson went really well, so she was in a great mood. Evan didn't really like the lesson, but he saw that Ms. Flaherty was really happy, so he decided not to ruin her good mood by telling her the lesson was boring.

Multiple Choice

The following is third person omniscient.

Caitlyn loves Jamba Juice, so when her friend offered to take her, she was super excited.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The following is third person omniscient.

Mr. Gallagher thinks history is super interesting, and he loves teaching about maps, so when Chris was added to his class, he was really happy because he also loves history.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The following is third person omniscient.

Mrs. Velasco's STEM class is really fun. All of her students really enjoy building things, and Mrs. Velasco was happy to see that even during distance learning, her students are still having a good time.

• True

• False

Third Person Limited

The narrator tells the story through the eyes of only one character. Uses names, he, she, they, them, her.

Example: Roman knows pretty much everything there is to know about Minecraft. He has all the good stuff the game has to offer: weapons, property, agriculture, etc. When he plays with his friends, they usually seem a little jealous of his Minecraft empire.

Multiple Choice

The following is third person limited.

When Ms. Flaherty was a kid, she wanted to be an interior designer. She watched lots of home improvement shows, and her parents thought it was super weird.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The following is third person limited.

Hekmatullah and Hafiz both showed up late to class on Friday, but when Ms. Flaherty asked them why they were late, they wouldn't tell her. Ms. Flaherty thought this was suspicious and asked them to stay after class. After class, they still wouldn't tell her what happened, so Ms. Flaherty made them sing a song about being on time. They seemed a little irritated.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

What POV is the following?

If you really want to impress your boss, here's what you should do: Show up to work early, dress to impress, and finish all of your work.

• 1st

• 2nd

• 3rd omniscient

• 3rd limited