Show:
POV
Perspective
Point of View
Narrative Perspective
Characters Opinion
100
"Do you want to take the shot, Vince?" The coach asked me. I looked into his eyes. They were ice-cold blue. His face did not betray his feelings, but I knew that he meant it. "I do, Coach. I can make the shot." I replied. He nodded and then put his hand on top of my head. "I don't know how long any of us will live, but we will all remember what happens next for as long as we do." He then slapped me on the back. The referee blew the whistle and it was time to find out just how I would be remembered. Narrator's Point of View
Answer first-person Explanation I know this passage is narrated from first-person perspective because the narrator tells his own story from the perspective of I.
100
Congratulations on purchasing the Tatakai Warriors: Fighting for Peanut Butter computer game. Before you install this program, you'll need to make sure that you have at least 24 kb of free space on your installation target. Insert the cd rom disc into your drive. The disc should run automatically. Select "Full Install" from the installation menu. The program will begin installing on your target drive. This might take up to twenty-four hours. Once installation is complete, an alert box should appear. If you see a successful installation message, remove the disc from the drive and enjoy the adventure! Narrator's Point of View
Answer Second-person Explanation I know this is second-person perspective because the narration follows you.
100
Odin brushed the snowflakes off of his sword and replied, "I will never accept a peace treaty from the Hamburgs. They are our sworn enemies and so long as I can hold a sword, I will point it at Hamburgs." Epee looked at him and wrinkled her face. A long moment passed in silence. Snow continued to fall from the sky. Finally, Epee responded, "But, Odin, think about what peace might mean for the children." Odin sneered and said, "Humph," but made no further comment. Epee drew her weapon. Narrator's Point of View
Answer Third-person objective Explanation I know this passage is narrated from third-person objective perspective because the narrator tells the story of Odin and Ep�e and the narrator is neither Odin nor Ep�e. Also, the narrator does not reveal any characters thoughts or feelings, only their actions and dialect, which makes the narration objective.
100
Greg looked up at the bright lights in the operating room until they burned a white spot in his field of vision. He looked at the face of the surgeon and saw only a white blur. When he looked away, he could see the surgeon's masked face from his peripheries. He could hear him readying an array of metal instruments, many of which looked as though they might belong to a dentist. I hope he's not going to use those on me! Greg thought to himself with terror. The surgeon picked up one that looked like a bent up question mark. Narrator's Point of View
Answer Third-person limited Explanation I know this passage is narrated from third-person perspective because the narrator tells Greg's story and the narrator is not Greg. I know that the narration is limited because the narrator only reveals Greg's thoughts and feelings, not those of the surgeo
100
We were a tightly knit unit. When one of us ate, all of us ate, and we all ate the same thing: shrubs and plants. Sure, Uncle Sam provided us with C-Rations, but those things produced a smell that could be detected from fifty-yards away, more if the wind was blowing. So even though it took longer to make our meals the way that the natives did, we had too. It was a matter of survival. Narrator's Point of View:
Answer First-person Explanation I know this passage is narrated from first-person perspective because the story is told from the perspective of we, and we is a first-person pronoun.
200
"Wow, look at his costume," said Annie. "He's dressed up like an electric jellyfish." She observed the flashing lights with genuine admiration. Adrianna looked at the costume and scoffed. Secretly, she envied the detail and craftsmanship that went into the jellyfish costume, but she would never let on to Annie. "What kind of loser goes walking around like a Christmas tree?" Adrianna said. Annie did not agree, but did not want to be disagreeable. "Yeah... what kind?" The ladies walked by another house. Annie did not like this. It seemed like Adrianna more interested in criticizing others than in trick-or-treating. Annie adjusted the headband to her costume. Adrianna was not wearing a costume. Narrator's Point of View:
Answer Third-person omniscient Explanation I know this passage is narrated from third-person perspective because the narrator tells the story of Annie and Adrianna and the narrator is neither Annie nor Adrianna. I know that the narrator is omniscient because he or she tells readers the internal thoughts of both Annie and Adrianna.
200
Do you love robots? Do you love saving money? If so, you're going to love Bob's Robot Emporium. Getting to Bob's is easy. If you are coming from the west, just head east on route 272 until you get to route 47. Head south on route 47 until you see the sign for Bob's Robot Emporium. You can't miss it. If you are coming from the other way, head west on route 272 west until you get to route 47, then head south. You are going to love the fabulous selection and low prices at Bob's and remember: if you didn't get it from Bob's, then it might exterminate your family. Narrator's Point of View
Answer Second-person Explanation I know this passage is narrated from second-person perspective because the narration follows you.
200
Beep, beep, beeeeeeeeep. The computer was going haywire. Scott read the message on the monitor. "Error 26: Resource Not Found." This made absolutely no sense to Scott. He continued troubleshooting, unplugging the drive and plugging it back into the computer, closing the program and reloading it, and shutting down the device and restarting it. None of this made any difference. Scott scratched his head. Well, I guess I'll have to recode this driver, Scott thought to himself, but this made Scott cringe. He felt that nothing was worse than writing driver code, except writing the driver code twice. Just then Dennis came in from the break room. He wasn't scheduled to have a break at this time, but he knew that Scott would never notice, not when he was so entrenched in his work. Dennis quietly returned to his desk. Narrator's Point of View
Answer Third-person omniscient Explanation I know this passage is narrated from third-person perspective because the narrator tells Scott and Dennis's stories and the narrator is neither Scott nor Dennis. I know that the narration is omniscient because the narrator reveals the thoughts and feelings of both Scott and Dennis.
200
Andy looked around his room. It was completely trashed. His floors were layered with clothing. Underneath the clothing were random toys. His lamp had a pair of boxer shorts on top of it. Some of his drawers were pulled out completely from his dresser and lying on the floor, others were hanging from the dresser. As Andy walked toward the bed carrying a blanket, he jumped up in the air and exclaimed, "Ahhh! My foot! I hurt my foot!" He peeled back the layers under where he just stepped and found a model plane. He threw it across the room with a crash. Narrator's Point of View
Answer Third-person objective Explanation I know this passage is narrated from third-person perspective because the narrator tells Andy's story and the narrator is not Andy. I know that the mode of narration is objective because the narrator does not reveal characters' thought or feelings, only their behaviors and dialog.
200
"You can't go that way, the path is blocked by something evil. No one who has gone down that path has ever returned," Xandor said to me, his face covered with shadows. We didn't really have any choice, considering that the black mist was following us. If we went the slow way, we would surely be consumed. I didn't want to argue with him, so I finished the argument, "Look, Xandor, I'm going. You can chop down trees and clear brush if you want to be fog food, but you're on your own." Then I started walking down the forbidden path. It wasn't long until I heard his footsteps pattering toward me. Narrator's Point of View:
Answer First-person Explanation I know this passage is narrated from first-person perspective because the narrator tells his or her own story from the perspective of I.
300
Little Bear blew the horn. The warriors gathered. Running Coyote was annoyed and said to Little Bear, "Why did you blow the horn, Little Bear. Do you need some instruction on how to hunt for buffalo? The first rule is to not make any loud noises when we are sneaking up on a herd." The other braves laughed heartily. Little Bear ignored him. He had no mind to entertain Running Coyote's derision at this time. "No, Running Coyote, it is about the truce. Some say that there has been an attack on the village." Running Coyote's face sobered. He no longer felt like joking. "Who says this, Little Bear?" Running Coyote asked. Little Bear replied, "The Chief says this." Narrator's Point of View
Answer Third-person omniscient Explanation I know this because the narrator tells Little Bear and Running Coyote's story and the narrator is neither Little Bear nor Running Coyote. I know that the mode of narration is omniscient because the narrator reveals both Little Bear and Running Coyote's thoughts and feelings.
300
Vivian brushed her hair and looked into the mirror. She thought her nose was too big and her face was too round. She sighed. Then she heard her mother call up the stairs, "Vivian, it's time for school!" Vivian replied, "Ok, Mom, I'll be right down!" She put down the brush, grabbed her backpack, and trotted down the stairs. She did not want to go to school, but she knew better than to play around on her mama's time. Her mother met her in the vestibule. She ran her fingers through Vivian's hair and said, "You look beautiful, Viv." Vivian put her head down. She did not believe her mother. Narrator's Point of View:
Answer Third-person limited Explanation I know this passage is narrated from third-person perspective because the narrator is telling Vivian's story and the narrator is not Vivian. I know that the mode of narration is limited because the narrator reveals Vivian's thoughts and feelings but neither Mom's nor any other characters'.
300
Wham! Jessie slammed the door shut behind him. He didn't say that he was mad, but from how hard he slammed that door, I'm guessing that he was. Caroline came up to me and asked, "What's wrong with him?" I shrugged my shoulders and threw the cards on the table. "I guess he wanted to win a game," I told her. She crossed her arms and gave me a look of annoyance. Narrator's Point of View
Answer First-person Explanation I know this story is narrated from first-person perspective because the narrator tells the story from the perspective of I.
300
You carefully walk through the dragon's lair, afraid to trigger any traps or disturb any sleeping things. Behind you is a rope bridge leading back the way you came. Ahead of you is a pile of gold and magical treasures larger than you could carry with one hundred horses and one hundred wagons. You grab a single gold coin from the pile and admire it. As you pick up the coin, you hear a snarling noise ahead of you. You drop the coin immediately. If you want to hide in the pile of gold, turn to page 22. If you want to go back the way that you came, turn to page 49. If you want to keep walking toward the noise, turn to page 85. Narrator's Point of View:
Answer Second-person Explanation I know this passage is narrated from second-person perspective because the narration follows you.
300
Rex walked through the alley toward the street. He stopped by a trashcan and sniffed around it, and then he climbed up on his hind legs and pawed the lid off of the can. The can fell over and the waste spilled out into the alley. Rex began cherry picking the food items. As he was gnawing on a pizza crust a large Rottweiler trotted up to the mess. He began growling at Rex. Rex moved to the perimeter of the spill, but the Rottweiler followed him, growling with more intensity. Rex met eyes with the Rottweiler and instantly they began fighting. Narrator's Point of View:
Answer Third-person objective Explanation I know this passage is narrated from third-person perspective, because the narrator tells the story from Rex's perspective and the narrator is not Rex. I know that the mode of narration is objective because the narrator does not reveal any characters' thoughts or feelings, only their actions.
400
The Scarecrow found a tree full of nuts and filled Dorothy's basket with them, so that she would not be hungry for a long time. She thought this was very kind and thoughtful of the Scarecrow, but she laughed heartily at the awkward way in which the poor creature picked up the nuts. His padded hands were so clumsy that he dropped almost as many as he put in the basket. But the Scarecrow did not mind how long it took him to fill the basket, for it enabled him to keep away from the fire, as he feared a spark might get into his straw and burn him up (49). Narrative Perspective
Third-Person Omniscient How do you know? Dorothy and the Scarecrow's thoughts are revealed.
400
Remember, any tool that you can use against an enemy may also be used against you. Therefore it is highly recommended that you build a course with your clan to practice keeping your wits about you when something is trying to set you off course. Ninjas train on special courses that really mess with their perception of space, but that doesn't mean you can't make your own mini gauntlet to increase your skills in your own backyard (78). Narrative Perspective:
Second-Person How do you know? Instructions and directions are usually written from second-person perspective.
400
Harry called their grand finale "Metamorphosis," which means "change in appearance." Harry would tie Theo's hands behind his back with a rope, then put him in a sack and tie the top. The tied and bagged Theo was then placed into the trunk which was locked and tied with ropes. A curtain was drawn so that no one could see the trunk, although they could hear Theo banging around inside. With great drama, Houdini told the audience, "When I clap my hands three times�behold a miracle!" He moved behind the curtain, clapped three times, and out stepped Theo, arms raised triumphantly" (31). Narrative Perspective:
Third Person Objective How do you know? No character's thoughts are revealed, only their actions and dialogue.
400
The next morning Mr. Sir marched the boys to another section of the lake, and each boy dug his own hole, five feet deep and five feet wide. Stanley was glad to be away from the big hole. At least now he knew just how much he had to dig for the day. And it was a relief not to have other shovels swinging past his face, or the Warden hanging around (80). Narrative Perspective:
Third-Person Limited How do you know? Narration is limited to Stanley's perspective.
400
We lived on the main residential street in town�Atticus, Jem and I, plus Calpurnia our cook. Jem and I found our father satisfactory: he played with us, read to us, and treated us with courteous detachment... Our mother died when I was two, so I never felt her absence. She was a Graham from Montgomery; Atticus met her when he was first elected to the state legislature (6). Narrative Perspective:
First Person How do you know? The story is written from "we" and the perspective of "I."
500
Siddhartha sat and watched him and remembered how once he had considered this man his friend. He gratefully accepted Vasudeva's invitation. When they reached the river bank, he helped him to secure the boat. Later, when the sun was beginning to set, they sat on the tree trunk and Siddhartha told him about his origin and his life. The story lasted late into the night. Vasudeva listened with great attention. It was one of Vasudeva's greatest virtues that, like few people, he knew how to listen. He never thought to interrupt the speaker with praise nor blame�he only listened. Siddhartha felt how wonderful it was to have such a listener who could be absorbed in another person's life, his strife, his sorrows (104). Narrative Perspective:
Third-Person Omniscient How do you know? Siddhartha and Vasudeva's thoughts are revealed.
500
Travelling light is essential to your journey. Before packing anything, ask yourself, "Do I really need this?" Once you've compiled your gear, go down the list and ask that question again. Of course, traveling light does not mean just holstering a .45, grabbing some beef jerky and a water bottle, and heading down the road. Equipment will be vital, more so than in any other scenario where you are holed up in a place�a prison, a school, your own home�where supplies are in abundance. The equipment you take with you may be all you have (101). Narrative Perspective
Second-Person How do you know? The text is written from "you" and "your" perspective.
500
The farm next to ours is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Gregg. The Greggs have two children, both of them boys. Their names are Philip and William. Sometimes I go over to their farm to play with them. I am a girl and I am eight years old. Philip is also eight years old. Last week something very funny happened. I am going to tell you about it as best as I can (1). Narrative Perspective:
First-Person How do you know? The narrator is telling his own story from the perspective of "I."
500
The Pirate Captain cut an impressive figure. If you were to compare him to a type of tree�and working out what sort of tree they would be if they were trees instead of pirates was easily one of the crew's favorite pastimes�he would undoubtedly be an oak. Living at the sea tended to leave you with ratty, matted hair, but the Pirate Captain somehow kept his beard silky and in good condition, and though nobody knew his secret, they all respected him for it. The Pirate Captain was secretly relieved when he heard the song of a rowdy shanty coming through the roof of the galley (4-5). Narrative Perspective
Third-Person (with a line of second-person) How do you know? We get the collective thoughts of the pirates and even the thoughts of "you."
500
Harold Davis took a deep breath and slowly started to peel the gauze from the wound on his grandmother's leg. "Hold on, Grandma. I'm almost done," He said quietly. "Don't worry, baby. It doesn't hurt too much," she replied, wincing slightly. "Just take your time." Harold glanced up at his grandmother lying on the couch. He could tell she was in pain from the way she gripped the cushions, but still she managed to smile back at him (1). Narrative Perspective
Third-Person Limited How do you know? The narrator reveals Harold's thoughts.