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Learn to spot who is telling the story and how they feel about the topic.
Have you ever told a friend about something that happened at school? You probably told the story from your point of view — what you saw, what you felt, and what you thought. But your friend might tell the same story differently! That's because everyone has their own point of view (the way they see things and feel about them).
Writers and storytellers have always thought about point of view. Over time, readers and teachers figured out ways to name the different viewpoints. Let's look at how this idea grew!
So here's the big question: When you read a passage on the ISEE, how can you figure out who is telling the story and what they think? Let's learn the tools to answer that question!
There are two big ideas to master for the ISEE. First, you need to know who is telling the story (the narrator's point of view). Second, you need to figure out how the author feels about the topic (the author's point of view). Let's break these down!
This diagram shows you the three main points of view side by side. Notice the clue words under each one. These are the words you should hunt for when reading a passage on the ISEE!
Here's a great test-taking tip. When you first look at a passage, read the very first sentence carefully. It usually tells you right away what point of view the passage uses. Look for the clue words shown in the diagram above!
On the ISEE, nonfiction passages often ask: "What is the author's point of view?" This means: how does the author feel about the topic? Do they think it's good, bad, exciting, or worrying? Let's learn how to figure it out.
Authors show their feelings through the words they choose. Words like amazing, terrible, important, sadly, fortunately are all opinion words. They tell you the author isn't just sharing facts — they're sharing how they feel.
Even when an author doesn't use obvious opinion words, you can figure out how they feel. If they write a whole passage about why recycling is great and only include happy facts about it, the author probably supports recycling.
The tone is the overall feeling of the writing. Ask yourself: does this passage sound happy, sad, excited, worried, or neutral (just sharing facts)? The tone is a big clue to the author's point of view.
Let's look at some common words that show up on the ISEE. Knowing these words will help you spot the author's opinion quickly. This chart groups them by feeling.
When you read an ISEE passage, try circling or underlining any clue words you notice. This makes it much easier to answer point-of-view questions. You've got this!
Let's practice together! Read this short passage and then follow the steps to answer a point-of-view question.
Question: What is the author's point of view about sea turtles?
The ISEE has some tricky answer choices. Let's learn the most common traps so you don't fall for them!
| Trap | What It Looks Like | How to Avoid It |
|---|---|---|
| Too Extreme | An answer says the author "hates" something when they are only a little worried. | Check if the passage uses very strong words. If not, pick a milder answer. |
| Opposite Feeling | An answer says the author is "excited" when the passage actually sounds sad. | Go back and reread the clue words. Make sure the feeling matches. |
| Mixing Up Characters | An answer describes how a character feels, not the author. | Remember: the author is the person who WROTE the passage. A character is a person IN the story. |
| Not in the Passage | An answer brings in ideas that are NOT in the passage at all. | Every answer must be supported by words in the passage. If you can't find proof, it's probably wrong. |
On the ISEE, you'll see both fiction (made-up stories) and nonfiction (true information) passages. Point-of-view questions work a little differently for each type. Here's a helpful comparison.
| Fiction (Stories) | Nonfiction (Information) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is the narrator? | A character in the story or an outside narrator | Usually the author (the person who wrote it) |
| What to look for | Pronouns like I, she, he, they — and feelings of the narrator | Opinion words, tone, and what facts the author chose to include |
| Common question | "From whose point of view is this story told?" | "What is the author's point of view about this topic?" |
| Example | "I watched the sunset." → First person, narrator is the character | "Solar panels are important for our future." → Author supports solar energy |
As you get older, you'll study even more about point of view. You'll learn about unreliable narrators (narrators who don't tell the whole truth) and how authors use point of view to create suspense. For now, focus on the basics — they'll carry you a long way on the ISEE!
Time to show what you've learned! Read each mini-passage or question carefully. Use the clue words and steps we practiced. Remember — on the real ISEE, always answer every question, even if you have to guess!
Great work! You now know how to identify point of view on the ISEE. Remember: first person uses "I" and "me," second person uses "you," and third person uses "he," "she," and "they." To find the author's point of view, look for opinion words (like "amazing," "sadly," or "should") and think about the overall tone of the passage.
On test day, use these strategies: Read the questions FIRST so you know what to look for. Circle clue words as you read the passage. Watch out for trap answers that are too extreme or don't match the passage. And always answer every question — there's no penalty for guessing on the ISEE! You've got this!