Name that Point of View!
"I love walking my dog after school.” What POV?
1st person!
Which pronoun is a clue for 1st person: I or she?
I
“Ben grabbed his coat and walked outside.” What POV?
3rd person
Change to 3rd person: “I ran home.”
He/She ran home.
“Olivia opened her backpack and pulled out her homework. She placed it on her desk.” What POV?
3rd person
Name 3 pronouns that are commonly used in 3rd person.
Any 3: he, him, his, she, her, hers, they, them, their
“My brother and I walked to the park. We brought our basketball with us.” What POV? Give one clue.
1st person; my, I, we, our, or us
Change to 1st person: “Maya grabbed her lunch and walked outside.”
I grabbed my lunch and walked outside.
“I waited by the door while my sister finished packing her bag. She told me she would be ready soon.” What POV?
1st person. I/my/me show the narrator is part of the story.
“I watched as Liam tied his shoes. He was getting ready for the race.”
Does the word "he" make this 3rd person? Explain your answer.
No. It is first person because the narrator uses "I." He refers to Liam.
“Sofia rushed into the classroom. She dropped her books on the desk and apologized to her teacher for being late.” What POV? Give two pieces of evidence.
3rd person; narrator uses Sofia’s name and she/her.
Rewrite in 3rd person: “I opened my locker, grabbed my books, and hurried to class because I was late.”
Example: She opened her locker, grabbed her books, and hurried to class because she was late.
“My mom handed me the grocery bags while my brother opened the door. He laughed when I nearly dropped one.” What POV?
1st person. My/me/I refer to the narrator. He refers to the narrator’s brother.
Which pronoun is more useful for determining POV in this sentence: “I told her that she had forgotten her backpack”—I or she? Explain.
I, because it tells us how the narrator refers to themself. She refers to another character.
“I could hear Noah laughing behind me. He had been trying to catch up with me since we left school, but I refused to slow down.”
Identify the POV and provide three pieces of evidence.
1st person; I, me, and we. He refers to Noah.
Rewrite in 1st person: “Derek stared at the roller coaster. He tightened his grip on the railing and stepped into line.”
I stared at the enormous roller coaster. I tightened my grip on the railing and stepped into line.
“She stared at me from across the table. I knew she was waiting for an answer, but my mind was completely blank. Finally, she sighed and picked up her book.”
Identify the POV and explain why someone might incorrectly identify it.
1st person. The narrator uses me, I, and my. Someone might incorrectly choose 3rd because she appears several times.
“My cousin told me that she lost her phone, so I helped her search for it. She finally found it underneath her backpack.”
Without looking at the pronouns, explain the best way to determine the POV.
Determine how the narrator refers to themself. The narrator uses my, me, and I, so it is 1st person. She/her refers to the cousin.
“I watched Ethan walk onto the stage. He looked down at the audience and took a deep breath. His hands shook slightly as he unfolded his paper. I smiled because I knew how hard he had practiced.”
Identify the POV and explain how you know who the narrator is NOT.
1st person. The narrator uses I. The narrator is not Ethan because Ethan is referred to as he/his. The narrator is another character observing Ethan.
Rewrite this passage in 3rd person without changing what happens: “I couldn't find my phone anywhere. I checked my backpack and asked my sister if she had seen it.”
Example: Mia couldn't find her phone anywhere. She checked her backpack and asked her sister if she had seen it.
“He looked at me and shook his head. I knew exactly what he was thinking, even though he didn't say a word. My brother had warned me not to try the trick, but I had done it anyway.”
Identify the point of view. Then explain two different ways you can prove your answer and explain why the passage could trick someone.
1st person. The narrator refers to themself using me, I, and my. The narrator is also participating in the events rather than being an outside narrator. The passage could trick someone because it begins with he and repeatedly refers to another character using he/his.