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Point of View
Who Is Telling the Story?

Learn to spot the narrator's point of view and figure out how the author wants you to see the story.

ISEE Lower Level: Reading

What Is Point of View?

Point of view means the position from which a story is told. It answers one big question: who is telling it?

Meet the Narrator

The Narrator the voice telling the story The Story what you read

First Person: "I" and "Me"

In first-person point of view, the narrator is a character inside the story. They use words like I, me, my, we, us.

You only know what that character knows, sees, and feels.

Third Person: "He, She, They"

In third-person point of view, the narrator is outside the story, like someone watching it happen. They use he, she, they, the names of characters.

The narrator can sometimes tell you what many characters think and feel.

The Big Rule

FIRST PERSON I, me, my, we narrator is IN the story THIRD PERSON he, she, they narrator is OUTSIDE Look at the pronouns to decide!

The Author's Point of View

Point of view is not only about pronouns. It is also about how the author feels about a topic, especially in nonfiction and opinion writing.

Words like should, best, terrible, wonderful are clues to how the author thinks and feels.

Narrator vs. Author

The Narrator
The voice inside the story. Can be a character or an outside watcher. May know only a little or a lot.
The Author
The real person who wrote the story. They choose the point of view and shape how you feel.

How to Find the Point of View

1
Read the pronouns. Hunt for "I" and "my" (first person) or "he," "she," "they" (third person).
2
Ask who is talking. Is the narrator a character in the story or someone watching from outside?
3
Look for feeling words. In nonfiction, words like "should" or "best" show the author's opinion.
4
Use the whole passage. Check more than one sentence before you decide.

Example 1: Easy

Step 1: Find the pronouns. We see I, my, and I again.

Step 2: The narrator is a character in the story.

Example 2: Medium

Step 1: Find the pronouns. We see Tom, he, his, she.

Step 2: The narrator is outside the story watching Tom and Lily.

Example 3: Challenge

Step 1: Look for feeling words: most important, should, wonderful.

Step 2: The author is sharing a strong opinion, not just facts.

Common Mistakes

✕ Author = Narrator
The narrator may be a made-up character. The author is the real writer.
✕ Reading Too Little
One word like "she" is not enough. Read the whole passage to be sure.
✕ Ignoring Feeling Words
In opinion writing, words like "best" or "terrible" reveal the author's view.

Quick Summary

First Person Third Person
Pronouns I, me, my, we he, she, they
Narrator A character in the story Outside the story
What you know One character's thoughts Can be many characters
Example "I ran home." "She ran home."

Time to Practice!

Read each passage carefully. Look for pronouns and feeling words, then choose the best answer. You have 5 questions ahead!

Question 1 of 5

What point of view is this passage written in?

Question 2 of 5

What point of view is this passage written in?

Question 3 of 5

What is the author's point of view about autumn?

Question 4 of 5

Who is the narrator in this passage?

Question 5 of 5

Which clue best shows this passage is in third person?