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ELA · Reading Comprehension
Point of View & Perspective
Every story is told by a narrator. Point of view is all about who is telling the story — and how much they can know.
👀Where Is the Narrator?
🙋FIRST PERSON
Who tells it?A character inside the story
Clue words"I", "me", "my", "we"
What they knowOnly what that ONE character knows
Sounds like"I opened the door and gasped at what I saw."
🛰️THIRD PERSON
Who tells it?An outside voice, not in the story
Clue words"he", "she", "they", "them"
What they knowCan see the characters from outside
Sounds like"She opened the door and gasped at what she saw."
🧠How Much Does the Narrator Know?
🌐Omniscient — "all-knowing"
Knows EVERY character's thoughts and feelings. It can hop from mind to mind — like a voice floating above the whole story.
🔎Limited — knows just one
Knows only ONE character's thoughts. For everyone else, the narrator can only guess — just like you would.
🔤Pronoun Clues: Spot the POV
🙋 First Person
Imemyweus
A character is telling their own story.
👉 Second Person
youyour
Talks straight to the reader — rare in stories (think Choose-Your-Own-Adventure).
🛰️ Third Person
heshetheythem
An outside voice tells the characters' story.
🔑Key Terms
📖Point of View The perspective the story is told from.
🎙️Narrator The voice that tells the story to us.
🙋First Person A narrator INSIDE the story using "I", "me", "we".
🛰️Third Person A narrator OUTSIDE using "he", "she", "they".
🌐Omniscient A narrator who knows EVERY character's thoughts.
👓Perspective How a narrator sees events, shaped by their experiences.
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Remember: find the pronouns first! "I / me" means First Person; "he / she / they" means Third Person — then ask how much the narrator can know.