4th Grade ELA Quiz: Comparing And Contrasting Points Of View

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Comparing And Contrasting Points Of View, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for 4th Grade ELA.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

Question 1

1. A narrator outside the story is telling it using words like she and her.
2. A narrator who is part of the story is telling it using words like I, me, and my. (correct answer)
3. A narrator outside the story is telling it using words like he and him.
4. A narrator outside the story is telling it using the older student's name.

Explanation: 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.

Question 2

1. Passage 1 is told in first person and shares the narrator's own feelings, while Passage 2 is told in third person and describes Noah's actions. (correct answer)
2. Passage 1 is told in third person and describes the narrator from outside, while Passage 2 is told in first person and shares Noah's own feelings.
3. Both passages are told in third person and describe the characters from outside, because each one names Ms. Lee helping.
4. Both passages are told in first person and share the narrator's own feelings, because each one describes forgetting a sandwich.

Explanation: The best answer is that Passage 1 is first person while Passage 2 is third person. Passage 1 uses words like "I" and "my" and tells you the narrator's private feelings, such as cheeks feeling warm. Passage 2 uses "he" and "him" and describes Noah from the outside, telling his actions rather than his inside thoughts. The choice that flips this—calling Passage 1 third person and Passage 2 first person—is backward, since Passage 1 clearly uses "I." The choice saying both are third person is wrong because Passage 1 uses "I" and "my," not an outside narrator. The choice saying both are first person is wrong because Passage 2 never uses "I"; it stays outside Noah using "he" and "him." Naming Ms. Lee or forgetting a sandwich does not decide point of view.

Question 3

1. first-person; third-person (correct answer)
2. third-person; first-person
3. third-person; third-person
4. first-person; first-person

Explanation: Passage 1 uses I, showing first-person point of view, while Passage 2 uses he and his, showing third-person point of view. Choice B reverses the two passages. Choice C is wrong because Passage 1 is not third-person. Choice D is wrong because Passage 2 is not first-person.

Question 4

1. first-person; third-person (correct answer)
2. third-person; first-person
3. third-person; third-person
4. first-person; first-person

Explanation: 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).

Question 5

1. It uses he, she, they, or a name like Riley instead of the words I, me, or my. (correct answer)
2. It includes dialogue when a character speaks, which shows the narrator is inside the story.
3. It describes actions happening quickly, which shows the narrator is watching from outside.
4. It mentions a teacher who helps, which shows the story is told by an outside narrator.

Explanation: You can tell Passage 2 is third-person because it names Riley and uses words like they instead of I, me, or my. That is the real test for third-person point of view. The choice about dialogue is wrong because Passage 1 also has someone speaking ("I need to clean this fast"), so dialogue can appear in first-person too and does not tell you the point of view. The choice about actions happening quickly is wrong because how fast or slow events happen has nothing to do with who is telling the story. The choice about mentioning a teacher is wrong because Passage 1 also mentions a teacher, yet Passage 1 is first-person, so naming a character does not decide the point of view. Only the pronouns and names tell you for sure.

Question 6

1. Both passages are third-person because they use he, she, and they.
2. Passage 1 is first-person using I, and Passage 2 is third-person describing Jordan. (correct answer)
3. Passage 1 is third-person because it shares thoughts, and Passage 2 is first-person.
4. Both passages are first-person because the author wrote them about school.

Explanation: 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).

Question 7

1. Both passages are told in first-person using I and my.
2. Both passages are told in third-person using he and his.
3. Passage 1 is first-person using I and my, while Passage 2 is third-person using he and his. (correct answer)
4. Passage 1 is told by the librarian, and Passage 2 is told by Maya.

Explanation: 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.

Question 8

1. Passage 1 is written in first person, so it can only tell us what Dad happens to be thinking.
2. Passage 2 is written in first person, so it shares Ava's private thoughts using the word "I."
3. Passage 1 shares Ava's own feelings, but Passage 2 also shows what her dad notices and suspects. (correct answer)
4. Both passages give the exact same details, so the point of view makes no real difference.

Explanation: 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.

Question 9

1. It lets the narrator use I and my to tell Malik's private thoughts the whole time.
2. It describes Malik from the outside using he and his, without directly telling his private thoughts. (correct answer)
3. It proves the author is Malik, since third-person means the author is the character.
4. It changes the setting from the cafeteria to a classroom.

Explanation: Choice B is correct because third-person point of view describes Malik using he and his, showing his actions from the outside rather than his private thoughts. Choice A describes first-person point of view, which is used in Text 1, not Text 2. Choice C is wrong because using third person does not mean the author and the character are the same person. Choice D is wrong because the setting stays the cafeteria in both texts.

Question 10

1. The narrator's own private thoughts, shown using the words I and my.
2. The brother's name and how he used a stick to free the kite. (correct answer)
3. The fact that the kite got stuck in a tree.
4. How Ava felt on the inside about the kite getting stuck.

Explanation: Choice B is correct because only Text 2 names the brother, Mateo, and explains that he used a stick to free the kite. Choice A describes a feature of Text 1, the first-person account, not something Text 2 adds. Choice C is wrong because both texts describe the kite getting stuck in the tree. Choice D is wrong because Text 2 does not describe Ava's inner feelings; it only describes her actions from the outside.

Question 11

1. The judge, because the judge smiles and asks a question.
2. Harper, because the narrator uses the word I to describe the narrator's own experience. (correct answer)
3. The author, because the author always uses the word I to tell every story.
4. No one, because first-person stories do not have a narrator.

Explanation: 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.

Question 12

1. Maya took a deep breath before spelling the word.
2. The judge gave the word "adventure."
3. The narrator worried about messing up in front of everyone. (correct answer)
4. The audience clapped when the spelling was finished.

Explanation: Only Passage 1 shares the narrator's inner worry about messing up in front of everyone, since Passage 2 only describes what an outside observer could see. Choices A, B, and D all describe details that appear in both passages, so they do not show something unique to Passage 1.

Question 13

1. The judge, because the story mentions the judge smiling and asking questions.
2. Harper, because the narrator uses I and tells about the narrator's own experience. (correct answer)
3. The author, because the author wrote the story in first person.
4. No one, because first-person stories do not have a narrator.

Explanation: 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 using I. The judge is not the one speaking as I, and a story written in first person still has a narrator, so those choices do not fit. Since the narrator directly experienced the events, the narrator must be Harper.

Question 14

1. Passage 1 is first-person, and Passage 2 is third-person that shares more than one character's feelings. (correct answer)
2. Passage 1 is third-person, and Passage 2 is first-person using I and my.
3. Both passages are first-person because Leah is a character in both.
4. Both passages are third-person because they describe more than one character's feelings.

Explanation: 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.

Question 15

1. It lets the narrator use I and my to tell Malik's private thoughts the whole time.
2. It describes Malik from the outside using he and his, without directly telling his thoughts. (correct answer)
3. It means the reader learns Malik's exact thoughts through his own words.
4. It shows the story from both Malik's and his friend's thoughts at the same time.

Explanation: 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.

Question 16

1. The narrator's own thoughts and feelings, since the narrator says I and my. (correct answer)
2. The narrator's real opinion of Jordan, since the two texts describe the same event.
3. What the teacher thought of the poster, since the teacher spoke aloud in Text 2.
4. The order that the events happened, since Text 1 lists the same steps as Text 2.

Explanation: The best answer is the narrator's own thoughts and feelings, since the narrator says I and my. Text 1 lets you hear inside the speaker's mind—the wobbly knees, remembering to breathe, warm cheeks—which Text 2 never shows. The choice about the narrator's opinion of Jordan is wrong because Jordan is not even a character in Text 1; the two texts tell about different speakers, not the same event. The choice about the teacher's thoughts is wrong because Text 2 only reports what the teacher said out loud, not what the teacher was thinking, so you cannot learn that from either text. The choice about the order of events is wrong because both texts follow the same order—standing, presenting, finishing—so Text 1 tells you nothing new about the sequence. Only inner thoughts and feelings appear in one text and not the other.

Question 17

1. It would use a name or he, she, or they instead of I, me, or my. (correct answer)
2. It would use a name or she instead of the words the narrator thinks and feels.
3. It would use he, she, or they, but only when the narrator talks to others.
4. It would use we, us, or our, since a person telling about herself is plural.

Explanation: 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.

Question 18

1. The narrator's own thoughts and feelings, because the passage tells us the words the speaker says inside. (correct answer)
2. The author's own opinion about giving posters, because the storyteller is always the same as the writer.
3. What the teacher was thinking that day, because the second passage shows us inside every character's mind.
4. The real order the events happened, because the two passages describe them in a different order.

Explanation: Passage 1 is told by a narrator using "I" and "my," so it lets you inside the speaker's mind — the wobbly knees, the warm cheeks, and the thought "Maybe I can do this again." Passage 2 only shows what Jordan does and says on the outside, so you never learn Jordan's private feelings. That makes the narrator's own thoughts and feelings the one thing you learn in Passage 1 but not in Passage 2. The author's opinion is wrong because the narrator in a story is a character, not necessarily the real writer. The teacher's thoughts are wrong because Passage 2 tells us actions and words, not what anyone is thinking inside. The order of events is wrong because both passages walk through the very same events in the very same order. Only one choice names something Passage 1 reveals that Passage 2 hides.

Question 19

1. Passage 1 is written in first person, and Passage 2 is written in third person. (correct answer)
2. Passage 1 is written in third person, and Passage 2 is written in first person.
3. Both passages are written in third person, using outside narrators.
4. Both passages are written in first person, using inside narrators.

Explanation: Passage 1 uses words like "I" and "my," so the narrator is telling his own story. That is first person. Passage 2 uses words like "he" and "his" to describe Eli from the outside, so that is third person. This makes the choice saying Passage 1 is first person and Passage 2 is third person the best answer. The choice that flips them is wrong, because Passage 1 clearly uses "I," not an outside narrator. The choice saying both passages use outside third-person narrators is wrong, because Passage 1 uses "I" and "my." The choice saying both passages use inside first-person narrators is wrong, because Passage 2 uses "he" and "his" instead of "I" and "my." Only one choice correctly matches each passage to its point of view.

Question 20

1. Passage 1 is third-person using she and Maya, while Passage 2 is first-person using I and my.
2. Both passages are first-person because they both share the narrator's inner feelings and thoughts.
3. Passage 1 is first-person using I and my, while Passage 2 is third-person using she and Maya. (correct answer)
4. Both passages are third-person because the author is telling us about the events from outside.

Explanation: The correct answer says Passage 1 is first-person using I and my, while Passage 2 is third-person using she and Maya. Look at the words the narrator uses. Passage 1 says 'I was walking' and 'My stomach tightened,' so the narrator is inside the story telling it as 'I.' Passage 2 says 'Maya was walking' and 'she checked its tag,' so the narrator is outside the story, describing Maya from the outside. That is the real difference between them. The choice that swaps the two passages is wrong: it names the pronouns backwards, giving Passage 1 the third-person words and Passage 2 the first-person words. The choice saying both are first-person is wrong because Passage 2 never uses 'I' or 'my'—it uses 'Maya' and 'she,' which are third-person. The choice saying both are third-person is wrong because Passage 1 clearly uses 'I' and 'my,' so its narrator is inside the story, not outside. Only one choice matches the pronouns in each passage correctly.