Who Is Telling the Story? | Varsity Tutors

Section 1

Why Does It Matter Who Tells a Story?

Have you ever told a friend about your day? You said things like "I went to the park" and "I saw a big dog." You were the narrator — the person telling the story! But what if your mom told your friend about your day? She might say "He went to the park" or "She saw a big dog." The story is the same, but a different person is telling it.

People have been telling stories for a very, very long time. Let's look at how storytelling has worked through the years!

Long, Long Ago

People told stories out loud around campfires. The person talking was the narrator. Everyone could hear who was telling the tale.

Fairy Tales

Stories like "The Three Bears" were written down. Someone outside the story told what happened: "Goldilocks sat in the chair." That is an outside narrator.

Diary Stories

Some books are written like a diary. A character says "I did this" and "I felt that." The character inside the story is the narrator.

Today

Many books mix it up! One part might be told by a cat, and the next part by a girl. The narrator can change as you read.

When you read, it helps to ask: "Who is talking right now?" That is what this lesson is all about!

Section 2

Big Ideas About Narrators

A narrator is the one who tells the story. Here are four big ideas to help you find the narrator every time you read.

Look for "I" and "My"

If you see the words "I" or "my," a character in the story is talking. That character is the narrator!

Look for "He," "She," or "They"

If the story says "he ran" or "she laughed," someone outside the story is telling it — like a hidden helper.

The Narrator Can Change

In some books, one character tells part of the story and then a different character takes a turn. Watch for the switch!

Ask "Who Is Talking?"

As you read, stop and ask: "Who is telling me this part?" It is the best trick to find the narrator.

✦ Key Takeaway

Think of a narrator like a tour guide at a zoo. The tour guide tells you about the animals. Sometimes one guide shows you the lions, then a different guide shows you the birds. In a story, the narrator is the guide — and the guide can change!

Section 3

Picture It: Who Is Telling the Story?

Look at the picture below. It shows a short story that has two different narrators. The color changes when the narrator changes!

Diagram showing two narrators in a story. Part 1 is told by Bear using the word "I." Part 2 is told by an outside narrator using the words "he" and "his."

Did you see how the purple part uses "I" and "my"? That means Bear is telling that part. Then the blue part uses "he" and "his." Now someone outside the story is talking. The narrator changed!

Section 4

How to Find the Narrator

Here is a simple plan you can follow every time you read. It is like a treasure map for finding the narrator!

Step-by-Step Plan

1. Read a part of the story. 2. Look for "I" or "my." 3. If you see them → a character is telling the story. 4. If you see "he," "she," or "they" → an outside narrator is telling the story. 5. Check again later — the narrator might change!

Let's try it with two short pieces. Read each one and look for the clue words.

📝 🐾 A Character Is the Narrator (uses "I" and "My")

"I ran to the door. My dog was barking. I opened it and saw a box on the step."

📝 👤 An Outside Narrator (uses "She" and "Her")

"Lily ran to the door. Her dog was barking. She opened it and saw a box on the step."

The two snippets tell the same events. But the first one is told by the character (Lily!), and the second one is told by someone outside the story. Changing the narrator changes the words we see on the page.

Flowchart showing how to decide who is narrating a story.

This flowchart is your reading helper! Use it anytime you want to figure out who is telling the story.

Section 5

Two Types of Narrators

There are two main kinds of narrators you will find in stories. Let's learn about each one!

ℹ Type 1 — Character Narrator

A character in the story is telling you what happens. This character uses "I" and "my." You see the story through their eyes. Example: "I climbed the big hill. My legs were tired."

ℹ Type 2 — Outside Narrator

Someone who is not in the story tells you what happens. This narrator uses "he," "she," or "they." It is like watching a movie — you can see everyone! Example: "Sam climbed the big hill. His legs were tired."

	Character Narrator	Outside Narrator
Clue Words	I, me, my, we	he, she, they, it, his, her
Who Talks?	A person or animal in the story	Someone we cannot see
What You Know	Only what that character sees and feels	What many characters do
Feels Like…	Listening to a friend tell you a story	Watching a show on TV

✦ Key Takeaway

A character narrator is like putting on a costume and pretending to be someone in the story. An outside narrator is like sitting in the audience and watching the whole play!

Section 6

Let's Read a Story Together!

Here is a short story. We will read it step by step and find the narrator each time.

📖 The Story: "Lost Mittens"

Part 1 (Story Snippet)Part 1: "I could not find my mittens. I looked under my bed. I looked in my backpack. Where were they?"

Step 1 — Read and Look for Clue WordsWe see the words "I" and "my" many times. That tells us a character is telling this part.

Step 2 — Who Is This Character?We do not know the name yet, but we know it is a kid looking for mittens. This kid is the narrator of Part 1!

Part 2 (Story Snippet)Part 2: "Mom walked into the room. She saw the mittens on the table. She picked them up and smiled."

Step 3 — Look for Clue Words AgainNow we see "She" and "the room." There is no "I" here. An outside narrator is telling this part!

Step 4 — Did the Narrator Change?Yes! In Part 1, the kid told the story. In Part 2, an outside narrator told the story. The narrator changed in the middle of the story. Great job spotting it!

Section 7

What Is Good (and Tricky) About Each Type?

Both kinds of narrators are great. But each one is a little different. Let's compare!

	What's Great 😊	What's Tricky 🤔
Character Narrator	You feel close to the character. You know their feelings!	You only know what they know. You might miss things.
Outside Narrator	You can see what ALL the characters do.	It can feel less personal — like watching from far away.
Changing Narrator	You get to see the story from different points of view!	You need to pay close attention so you don't get lost.

✦ Key Takeaway

Think of it like a camera. A character narrator is like holding the camera yourself — you see what you see. An outside narrator is like a drone flying above, showing the whole playground. Both are cool!

Section 8

What Comes Next?

Right now, you are learning to find who is telling the story. That is a super important skill! As you get older and read bigger books, here are some cool things you will learn next.

What You Learn Now	What You'll Learn Later
Find who is telling the story	Figure out why the author chose that narrator
"I" means a character is talking	This is called first person
"He/She" means an outside narrator	This is called third person
The narrator can change	Some books have many narrators who take turns telling chapters!

You are building a strong reading brain right now! Every time you stop and ask "Who is talking?", you are practicing a skill that great readers use their whole lives.

Section 9

Practice Time!

Try these five questions. Read each little story, then figure out who is telling it. Click "Show Answer" when you are ready to check!

PROBLEM 1 — WHO IS TALKING?

Read this: "I love to play in the rain. My boots get so muddy!" Is a character telling this, or is it an outside narrator?

PROBLEM 2 — FIND THE CLUE WORDS

Read this: "The frog jumped onto the log. He sat very still." What clue word tells you this is an outside narrator?

PROBLEM 3 — TWO PARTS, TWO NARRATORS?

Read Part A: "I drew a picture of a sun." Read Part B: "She showed her picture to the class." Did the narrator change from Part A to Part B? How do you know?

PROBLEM 4 — A LONGER STORY

Read this story: "Ben walked to the pond. He saw a turtle. The turtle was sitting on a rock. Ben waved hello." Who is the narrator? Is it Ben, the turtle, or someone outside the story?

PROBLEM 5 — THINK ABOUT IT

Imagine you are writing a story about your pet fish. You could write it two ways: Way 1: "I swim around my bowl all day." Way 2: "The fish swims around her bowl all day." In Way 1, who is the narrator? In Way 2, who is the narrator? Why might an author pick one way over the other?

Summary

What We Learned

A narrator is the one who tells a story. When you see the words "I" and "my," a character inside the story is the narrator. When you see "he," "she," or "they," an outside narrator is telling the story. The narrator can change as you read — one part might be told by a character, and the next part might be told by someone outside the story.

The best trick is simple: stop as you read and ask, "Who is talking right now?" Look for the clue words, and you will always find the narrator. You did a wonderful job today! Keep practicing, and soon it will feel as easy as spotting your name on a paper. 🎉