Comparing and Contrasting Points of View - 4th Grade Reading

1. Read Passage 1 and Passage 2. How is the point of view different between them?
   Answer: Passage 1 is first-person using I/my, while Passage 2 is third-person using she/Maya. The correct answer is that Passage 1 is first-person using I/my, while Passage 2 is third-person using she/Maya. In Passage 1 the narrator is inside the story, using 'I' and sharing personal feelings like 'My stomach tightened.' In Passage 2 the narrator stays outside the story, using 'Maya' and 'she' to describe her actions from the outside. The option saying Passage 1 is third-person and Passage 2 is first-person swaps the two passages and lists the wrong pronouns for each one. The option saying both passages are first-person is wrong because Passage 2 never uses 'I' or 'my'—it uses 'Maya' and 'she,' so only one passage is first-person. The option saying both passages are third-person is wrong because Passage 1 clearly uses 'I' and 'my' and shares the narrator's own feelings, which makes it first-person, not third-person. To choose correctly, look at the pronouns each narrator uses and decide whether the storyteller is inside the story or watching from outside.
2. Read Passage 1 and Passage 2. In Passage 1, who is telling the story?
   Answer: The main character, because the narrator uses I/me/my to tell what happened. Passage 1 uses the words I, me, and my, and shares a private thought—'Oh no, I'm going to be late.' That means the person telling the story is inside it, living the events, so the narrator is the main character. That is why choosing the main character is correct. Choosing Mrs. Patel is wrong because she is only a character who speaks and offers a ride; she is not the voice telling the story, since the story never says 'I' about her. Choosing the author is wrong because the author is a real person who writes the story down, but the narrator is the character speaking inside the story with the word I. Choosing Eli is wrong because Eli is the character in Passage 2, told with 'he' and his name—not the person telling Passage 1, where the narrator speaks as 'I.'
3. Read Passage 1 and Passage 2. How is the narrator's point of view different? Passage 1: I was carrying our class plant to the window when my shoe caught the rug. The pot tipped, and dirt spilled all over the floor. My cheeks burned, and I thought, Everyone is staring at me. I grabbed paper towels and started cleaning fast. Ms. Lopez told me, "Accidents happen," and I felt a little better. Passage 2: Jordan carried the class plant to the window and tripped on the rug. The pot tipped over, and soil spread across the floor. Jordan looked embarrassed and quickly got paper towels. Ms. Lopez spoke kindly and reminded the class that mistakes happen. The room grew quiet as Jordan finished cleaning.
   Answer: Passage 1 is first-person using I, and Passage 2 is third-person describing Jordan. This question tests comparing and contrasting points of view (CCSS.RL.4.6), specifically identifying first-person vs third-person narration. Passage 1 is written in first-person point of view, using pronouns like I, my, and me, which means the narrator is inside the story experiencing events. Passage 2 is written in third-person point of view, using pronouns like he, she, and they along with the character's name Jordan, so the narrator is outside the story observing and describing events. Choice B is correct because it accurately identifies the POV of each passage. Specifically, Passage 1 uses 'I' and shares the narrator's thoughts like 'My cheeks burned, and I thought, *Everyone is staring at me,*' while Passage 2 uses 'Jordan' and describes from outside. Choice A is incorrect because it confuses first and third person, citing wrong pronouns; this error occurs when students don't pay attention to pronouns. To help students understand point of view: Teach the two main types—FIRST-PERSON: narrator is IN the story, uses 'I, me, my, we, us, our,' shares personal thoughts and feelings directly, limited to what that character knows and experiences. THIRD-PERSON: narrator is OUTSIDE the story, uses 'he, she, they, him, her, them' and character names, describes characters from external view, may know one character's thoughts (limited) or all characters' thoughts (omniscient). Create a comparison chart: First-Person | Third-Person | Pronouns (I, me, my | he, she, they) | Narrator's position (inside story | outside story) | What narrator knows (only what I see/think/feel | what characters do, may know thoughts). Practice by: (1) Identifying POV from pronouns; (2) Rewriting a passage changing POV; (3) Comparing same event told from different POVs; (4) Explaining what each POV can/cannot share. Watch for: confusing pronouns (thinking 'you' is first-person, or mixing up I vs he/she), not understanding that first-person narrator is limited to their own knowledge, thinking narrator and author are same person, and focusing on content (what story is about) instead of perspective (who's telling it and how).
4. Read Passage 1 and Passage 2. Passage 1 is written in ___ point of view, while Passage 2 is written in ___ point of view. Passage 1: I opened my locker and saw a small note taped inside. My hands shook a little as I read it: "You've got this today!" I didn't know who wrote it, but it made me grin. I tucked the note in my pocket so I could read it again later. Then I walked to class feeling braver. Passage 2: A note was taped inside Eli's locker when he opened it. The note said, "You've got this today!" Eli smiled and slipped it into his pocket. He walked to class with his shoulders back. He still wondered who wrote it, but the message helped him.
   Answer: first-person; third-person This question tests comparing and contrasting points of view (CCSS.RL.4.6), specifically identifying first-person vs third-person narration. Passage 1 is written in first-person point of view, using pronouns like I and my, which means the narrator is inside the story experiencing events. Passage 2 is written in third-person point of view, using pronouns like he, his, and the character's name Eli, so the narrator is outside the story observing and describing events. Choice A is correct because it accurately identifies the POV of each passage. Specifically, Passage 1 uses 'I' and shares personal thoughts like 'My hands shook a little as I read it,' while Passage 2 uses 'Eli' and describes from outside. Choice C is incorrect because it confuses first and third person by claiming both are third-person, not paying attention to pronouns; this error occurs when students don't pay attention to pronouns. To help students understand point of view: Teach the two main types—FIRST-PERSON: narrator is IN the story, uses 'I, me, my, we, us, our,' shares personal thoughts and feelings directly, limited to what that character knows and experiences. THIRD-PERSON: narrator is OUTSIDE the story, uses 'he, she, they, him, her, them' and character names, describes characters from external view, may know one character's thoughts (limited) or all characters' thoughts (omniscient). Create a comparison chart: First-Person | Third-Person | Pronouns (I, me, my | he, she, they) | Narrator's position (inside story | outside story) | What narrator knows (only what I see/think/feel | what characters do, may know thoughts). Practice by: (1) Identifying POV from pronouns; (2) Rewriting a passage changing POV; (3) Comparing same event told from different POVs; (4) Explaining what each POV can/cannot share. Watch for: confusing pronouns (thinking 'you' is first-person, or mixing up I vs he/she), not understanding that first-person narrator is limited to their own knowledge, thinking narrator and author are same person, and focusing on content (what story is about) instead of perspective (who's telling it and how).
5. What information does Passage 2 provide that Passage 1 does not?
   Answer: Ben's reaction, because third-person can describe what Ben does and how he looks. Passage 2 adds details Passage 1 leaves out about the second child: Ben frowns, crosses his arms, and sighs, so we see his reaction. Passage 1 only says the friend stared. The choice about Ava's feelings is wrong because it is Passage 1, told by "I," that describes feeling curious; Passage 2 never shares Ava's inner thoughts. The choice about the sign's wording is wrong because both passages quote the exact same words, "We have to take turns now," so neither one tells more. The choice about the sign's location is wrong because both passages say the sign was by the swings, giving the same information. Only one choice names something truly new in Passage 2.
6. How does the narrator's perspective differ between Passage 1 and Passage 2, and how does that affect what the reader knows?
   Answer: Passage 1 is first person and shares the narrator's feelings, while Passage 2 is third person and shows both characters' actions. Passage 1 uses "I," so it is first person and the reader learns only that one narrator's inner feelings, like feeling relieved. Passage 2 uses names like Theo and Lina, so it is third person and shows what more than one character does, but not their inner thoughts. That is why the best answer says Passage 1 is first person with the narrator's feelings and Passage 2 is third person showing both characters' actions. The choice that swaps this around, calling Passage 1 third person and Passage 2 first person, mixes up which passage uses "I" and which uses names. The choice saying both are first person is wrong because Passage 2 never uses "I," and neither passage tells you every character's feelings. The choice claiming Passage 1 can share every character's thoughts is wrong because Passage 1 shares only the narrator's own thoughts, not everyone's.
7. Who is telling the story in Passage 1?
   Answer: A narrator who is part of the story is telling it using words like I, me, and my. Passage 1 uses words like "I," "me," and "my," which shows the narrator is a character inside the story telling it from their own point of view. The choice about a narrator outside the story using "she" and "her" is wrong because those words never appear in Passage 1; that pattern fits Passage 2 instead. The choice about a narrator outside the story using "he" and "him" is wrong because "he" and "him" only describe the older student, not the person telling the story. The choice about a narrator outside the story using the older student's name is wrong because Passage 1 never names the narrator and speaks with "I," not from outside the events.
8. Why does Passage 1 include more feelings than Passage 2?
   Answer: Because Passage 1 is first-person, the narrator can share her own thoughts directly. The best answer is that Passage 1 is first-person, so the narrator can share her own thoughts directly. Words like 'I' and 'my' show us she is telling her own story, which is why we hear that her knees felt wobbly and she felt proud. The choice saying Passage 2 is first-person is wrong: Passage 2 uses 'Sofia' and 'her,' so it is third-person and cannot tell us everyone's feelings. The choice calling Passage 1 third-person mixes up the two passages, since Passage 1 clearly uses 'I' and 'my.' The choice about describing words is wrong because using more describing words is not what lets a story share more feelings; a first-person narrator does that by telling us her own thoughts, and Passage 1 actually shares more feelings than Passage 2.
9. Read Passage 1 and Passage 2. How is the point of view different between them?
   Answer: Passage 1 is first-person using I and my, while Passage 2 is third-person using he and his. Passage 1 uses I and my to describe the narrator's own actions, while Passage 2 uses he and his to describe Jordan from the outside, showing a shift from first-person to third-person. Passage 2 does not use I or my at all, so both passages being first-person is incorrect. Passage 1 does not use he or his, so both passages being third-person is also incorrect. Neither passage is narrated by the librarian or by Maya. Instead, Passage 1 has an unnamed narrator and Passage 2 focuses on Jordan.
10. How would Passage 2 change if it were told from Carlos's first-person point of view?
    Answer: It would use I, me, and my instead of Carlos and he, and it could share Carlos's feelings directly. The best answer is that the story would use I, me, and my in place of Carlos and he, and it could share his feelings directly. In Passage 1, first-person words like I and my let the narrator tell us feelings such as 'I felt brave.' One choice says first-person can use I and me but cannot share how Carlos felt inside; that is wrong, because sharing inner feelings is exactly what first-person does well. Another choice says the story would keep using he and him; that is wrong, because first-person replaces those pronouns with I and me. The last choice says the events would change; that is wrong, because point of view changes how a story is told, not what actually happens in it.
11. How would Passage 1 be different if it were told in third person?
    Answer: It would use a name or he, she, or they instead of I, me, or my. Third person means the story is told using a name or the words he, she, or they instead of I, me, or my, so the first choice is correct. Changing to third person does not remove the narrator's thoughts and feelings; you can still say she felt thankful, so the choice that trades feelings for a name is wrong. Third person uses those pronouns all through the story, not only during moments when the narrator talks to others, so that choice is wrong too. And third person is not plural; you can tell a story about one person using he or she, so switching to we, us, or our is also wrong.
12. Read Passage 1 and Passage 2. Which pronouns best show Passage 1 is first-person?
    Answer: I, me, my Passage 1 is told by the narrator about the narrator's own actions and feelings, so it uses I, me, and my. These first-person pronouns show the storyteller is talking about themselves. The words we, us, and our are also first-person, but they mean more than one person, and this narrator acts alone. They, them, and their point to other people the narrator is not part of, so they cannot show a story told by the narrator about themselves. She, her, and hers are third-person pronouns used to name someone else, which is why they appear in Passage 2, where Serena is described from the outside. Only I, me, and my match a narrator telling their own story in Passage 1.
13. Read Passage 1 and Passage 2. How does third-person point of view affect Passage 2?
    Answer: It describes Malik from the outside using he and his, without directly telling his thoughts. Third person describes Malik from the outside using he and his, without directly stating his private thoughts. Passage 2 does not use I or my, since that would be first person, not third person. Third person here does not give Malik's thoughts in his own words, since it describes his actions from the outside. Passage 2 only follows Malik's actions; it does not tell the friend's thoughts as well.
14. Read Passage 1 and Passage 2. Which passage is third-person, and how can you tell?
    Answer: Passage 2 is third-person because the narrator uses the name Carlos and the words he and his. Passage 2 is told in third-person. The narrator stays outside the story and names the character Carlos while using he and his, so we watch Carlos from the outside instead of hearing his own voice. That is exactly what third-person narration does. Saying Passage 1 is third-person because it names Carlos and uses he is wrong, because Passage 1 never does that—it uses I, me, and my, which makes it first-person. Saying Passage 1 is third-person because the narrator uses I, me, and my is also wrong, because those are first-person pronouns; a first-person narrator is inside the story telling us their own thoughts. Saying Passage 2 is third-person because the narrator is really the author mixes up the narrator with the author; point of view is decided by the pronouns the narrator uses, not by who wrote the story. To find the point of view, look at the pronouns: I and my signal first-person, while he, she, and character names signal third-person.
15. Read Passage 1 and Passage 2. Which sentence best compares the narrators' perspectives?
    Answer: Passage 1 is first-person, and Passage 2 is third-person that shares more than one character's feelings. Passage 1 uses I and my, so it is told in first person, while Passage 2 uses names like Leah and describes the feelings of both Leah and the new student, which is third person. The second choice swaps which passage is which. A character appearing in a story does not make it first-person, and Passage 1 is written in first person, not third, so the last two choices do not fit.
16. Read Passage 1 and Passage 2. Which pronouns show the point of view in Passage 2?
    Answer: she, her, used to describe Nina in the story Passage 2 is told from outside the story, so the narrator describes the character Nina rather than being her. That is why the pronouns 'she' and 'her' show the point of view here. The first choice lists 'I, me, my,' but those are the pronouns from Passage 1, where the narrator is inside the story telling about herself. Watch out for mixing up the two passages! The second choice lists 'he, him, his,' but those words describe a boy, and there is no boy in Passage 2—only Nina and her friend, who are both girls. The last choice lists 'we, us, our,' which a narrator uses when telling about a group they belong to, like 'we walked.' Passage 2 never uses those words; it describes one girl from the outside. So the correct answer is 'she, her,' the pronouns the narrator uses to tell Nina's story.
17. How does the narrator's perspective change what you know in Passage 1 and Passage 2?
    Answer: Passage 1 is first-person and tells Theo's feelings, but Passage 2 is third-person from an outside view. Passage 1 uses "I" and shares the speaker's own feelings, like relief and worry, so it is first-person from Theo. Passage 2 uses Theo's name and shows only what Lina can notice from the outside, so it is third-person. That makes the choice naming Passage 1 as first-person and Passage 2 as third-person correct. One choice flips this, saying Passage 1 is third-person and Passage 2 is first-person, which is backwards. Another says both are first-person and reveal everyone's thoughts, but Passage 2 never uses "I" and only shows Lina's outside view. The last choice again calls Passage 1 third-person, when it clearly uses "I," so it names the wrong perspective.
18. What can you learn from Passage 1 that you cannot learn from Passage 2?
    Answer: The narrator's exact thoughts and worries while singing on stage. Passage 1 uses "I" and "my," so you can hear the narrator's private thoughts, like "I really hope I don't forget the words." That is something a reader can only get from inside the character's mind. The choice about how the song ends is wrong because Passage 1 stops after the first line and never tells you how the narrator felt when the song finished. The choice about what the stage and room looked like is wrong because neither passage describes the setting in detail, so Passage 1 gives you no extra picture of it. The choice about why the class held a talent show is wrong because that reason never appears in either passage. Only the narrator's inner thoughts and worries can be learned from Passage 1 and not from the outside view in Passage 2.
19. Read Passage 1 and Passage 2. Who is telling the story in Passage 1?
    Answer: Harper, because the narrator uses the word I to describe the narrator's own experience. Passage 1 is told using the word I, which shows that the narrator is describing something the narrator experienced firsthand. Passage 2 uses the name Harper instead, so it is not told by a narrator using I. The judge and the author are not the ones speaking as I in Passage 1. Since the narrator directly experienced the events, the narrator must be Harper.
20. Which statement best explains how point of view changes what the reader knows?
    Answer: Passage 1 shares Ava's own feelings, but Passage 2 also shows what her dad notices and suspects. The correct answer is right because Passage 1, told in first person, shares Ava's own feelings, while Passage 2, told in third person, also reveals what her dad notices. Choice A is wrong because Passage 1 is told from Ava's point of view, not her dad's. Choice B is wrong because Passage 2 is written in third person, not first person. Choice D is wrong because the two passages reveal different information about what each character knows.

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