Determining Point of View

Determining Point of View

Is the narrator

STEP 1 of the story a character in the story?

YES

Double Check: Does the narrator use first person pronouns (I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours) when talking about himself or herself in the story?

YES

NO Is the narrator giving directions?

NO

Double Check:

YES

Double Check: Does the narrator use SECOND person pronouns (you, your, yours) when talking TO the reader?

Does the narrator use THIRD person pronouns (he, him, his / she, her, hers / it, its / they, them, their, theirs) or refer to the characters by their names when talking about them?

YES

First Person Point of View

YES

Second Person Point of View

Remember, it is very RARE for a STORY to be in 2nd person point of view.

Third Person Point of View

There\u2019s MORE! Go to the next step.

Determining Point of View continued . . . STEP 2

What kind of THIRD person narrator is it? Does the narrator know the thoughts and/or feelings of ANY character in the story?

NO

A narrator that can only observe what characters say and do but does NOT know anyone’s thoughts or feelings is . . .

Third Person OBJECTIVE Point of View

YES

Does the narrator know the thoughts and feelings of ONE character or of SEVERAL major characters?

ONE

A narrator that knows the thoughts and feelings of only ONE character is . . .

Third Person LIMITED Point of View

More Than One

A narrator that knows the thoughts and feelings MORE THAN ONE character is . . .

Third Person OMNISCIENT Point of View