What is Third-Person Point of View?

S2-SA3-0047

Grade Level:

Class 4

NLP, Law, History, Social Sciences, Literature, Journalism, Communication

Definition

What is it?

Third-person point of view is when a story is told by someone who is not a character in the story. This narrator uses words like 'he,' 'she,' 'it,' 'they,' and character names to talk about what happens. It's like an outsider looking in and telling you everything.

Simple Example

Quick Example

Imagine your friend, Ritu, telling you about a cricket match she watched. She might say, 'Rohit hit a six, and then Virat scored quickly. The crowd cheered loudly when they won.' Ritu is telling you about others (Rohit, Virat, the crowd) without being one of them in the story. This is third-person.

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

Let's identify the point of view in a short story:

Story: 'Aarav woke up early. He looked out the window and saw the sun rising. His mother called him for breakfast, and he quickly got ready. They all ate together.'

1. Read the story carefully.
2. Look for words like 'I,' 'me,' 'my,' 'we,' 'us' (first-person) or 'you,' 'your' (second-person).
3. In this story, we see 'Aarav,' 'he,' 'his,' 'mother,' 'they.'
4. The narrator is talking about Aarav and his family, not as Aarav himself. The narrator is an outside voice.
5. Since the narrator uses 'he,' 'his,' and 'they' to describe the characters, it is a third-person point of view.

Answer: Third-person point of view.

Why It Matters

Understanding third-person point of view is crucial for reading and writing stories, news articles, and even history books. Authors, journalists, and historians use it to present information about others clearly. It helps you understand different perspectives and how stories are shaped.

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Thinking 'you' means third-person. | CORRECTION: 'You' is second-person point of view, used for giving instructions or directly addressing the reader. Third-person uses 'he,' 'she,' 'it,' 'they,' or character names.

MISTAKE: Confusing third-person with the author's personal opinion. | CORRECTION: In third-person, the narrator is a separate voice from the author, even if the author created them. The narrator tells the story, not necessarily sharing their own personal feelings.

MISTAKE: Forgetting that character names also count as third-person references. | CORRECTION: When the narrator says 'Priya went to the market' or 'The dog barked,' 'Priya' and 'The dog' are references to others, making it third-person, just like 'she' or 'it.'

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: Is the following sentence in third-person? 'She loves eating gulab jamun.' | ANSWER: Yes

QUESTION: Which of these sentences is NOT in third-person? A) 'They played football.' B) 'He bought a new phone.' C) 'I enjoyed the movie.' D) 'The car stopped.' | ANSWER: C) 'I enjoyed the movie.' (This is first-person)

QUESTION: Identify the point of view: 'Kavya started her new coding class. She found it challenging but exciting. Her friends encouraged her to keep practicing, and soon, she was building small apps.' | ANSWER: Third-person point of view.

MCQ

Quick Quiz

Which of these pronouns is typically used in third-person point of view?

You

They

The Correct Answer Is:

They' refers to a group of people or things, told by an outside narrator. 'I' and 'we' are first-person, and 'you' is second-person.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

When you read news reports about events happening in different cities, like 'The Indian cricket team won the series' or 'The new metro line opened in Bengaluru,' these are written in third-person. Journalists use it to report facts about others without being part of the story themselves. Even the commentary during a live IPL match uses third-person when describing what the players are doing.

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

NARRATOR: The person or voice telling the story | PRONOUNS: Words like he, she, it, they that replace nouns | POINT OF VIEW: The perspective from which a story is told | CHARACTER: A person or animal in a story

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Great job understanding third-person! Next, you can learn about 'First-Person Point of View' and 'Second-Person Point of View.' Knowing all three will help you understand how different stories are created and how authors choose to tell them.