Point of View

Point of View

POV Practice

Point of View Definition

Point of view (POV) is what the character or narrator telling the story can see (his or her perspective). The author chooses “who” is to tell the story by determining the point of view. Depending on who the narrator is, he/she will be standing at one point and seeing the action.

First (1st) Person

First person: The example above with little Rachel is told in the first-person point of view, meaning that we are seeing events through the eyes of the character telling the story.

Pronouns: I, we, me, my, our, mine

Second (2nd) Person

In second person, the narrator is speaking to YOU. This isn’t very common in fiction, unless the narrator is trying to talk to the reader personally. We see second-person point of view mostly in poems, speeches, instructional writing, and persuasive articles.

Pronouns: you, your, yours

Third (3rd) Person

With third-person point of view, the narrator is describing what’s seen, but as a spectator. If the narrator is a character in the story, then we are reading what he or she observes as the story unfolds. This narrator has three possible perspectives.

Pronouns: she, he, they, him, her, them

3rd Person

Limited – In limited third-person, the narrator sees only what’s in front of him/her, a spectator of events as they unfold and unable to read any other character’s mind. Omniscient – An omniscient narrator sees all, much as an all knowing god of some kind. He or she sees what each character is doing and can see into each character’s mind. This is common with an external character, who is standing above, watching the action below (think of a person with a crystal ball, peering in).

Limited Omniscient – The limited omniscient third-person narrator can only see into one character’s mind. He/she might see other events happening, but only knows the reasons of one character’s actions in the story.

Multiple Choice

I was nervous when it was my turn in the spelling bee.

• First person

• Second person

• Third person

Multiple Choice

He likes to tell jokes that make everybody laugh.

• First person

• Second person

• Third person

Multiple Choice

Mike took his book to the library to renew it for one more week.

• First Person

• Second Person

• Third Person

• Third person

Multiple Choice

You have to be very quiet so you don’t scare away the rabbit.

• First person

• . Second person

• Third person