Students will identify first person, second person, and third person points of view in text.

First person Second person Third person

You might say, “I found Snoopy in my lunch box,”

Or “I found a mysterious package

where my sandwich used to be.”

First person is done from a single character’s point of view (POV) throughout the book.

Example: Mrs. Elzie Pickens in the story “The Luckiest Time of All” was the character that told the story.

When you use “I” you are writing in first person.

If the story uses “you” and “your,” then it is second person.

Paragraphs that give instructions are often in second person.

A sentence might say, “You should first turn on the CD player,”

Or “Watch for the red light to know

that the power is on.”

When the story is written to talk ABOUT the characters, that is third person.

Examples would be, “Sam saw the elderly woman trying to cross the street,”

Or “The dog raced to help his

master.”

First person: I, me, my, mine (sometimes we, our, us)

Second person: you, your Third person: he, she, him, her,

they, them

Students will identify first person, second person, and third person points of view in text.

Example: The speaker expresses his views, as in “I ate the apple.”

First person Example: The speaker speaks to

another, as in “You ate the apple.” Second person Example: The speaker is speaking

about another person, as in “She ate the apple.”

Third person

How strange it seemed to the sad woman, as she watched the growth, and the beauty that became every day more brilliant, and the intelligence that threw its quivering sunshine over the tiny features of this child! Her Pearl! But she named the infant “Pearl,” as being of great price, -- purchased with all she had, -- her mother’s only treasure! How strange, indeed!

Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter

Third person

Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world.

Herman Melville

First person

“Good-bye, my son. Bless you!” Mr. Turveydrop said this and it seemed to do his son good, who, in parting from him, was so pleased with them, so dutiful to him, and so proud of him that I almost felt as if it were an unkindness to the younger man not to be able to believe implicitly in the elder.

Charles Dickens, Bleak House

First person

Jello Cake This is a delicious and simple recipe to make. It’s also called

“Poke Cake.” Try it! You will need to follow these steps: 1. Use a 9x13 pan. Use white cake mix and follow box

directions. 2. Make holes in the entire sheet cake with a fork all the way

to bottom of pan, ½- ¾ in. apart. 3. Prepare large box of flavored gelatin with 2 cups boiling

water, stir completely. Do not chill. 4. Pour warm gelatin liquid evenly over entire cake. Holes in

cake allow gelatin to seep in. 5. Place cake in refrigerator until gelatin is firm (about 3

hours). 6. Spread delicious whipped topping (8 oz thawed) over top

of cake and decorate with colorful sprinkles. YUM!!!

Second person

King Vortigern sat upon his throne in London, when, suddenly, upon a certain day, ran in a breathless messenger, and cried aloud, “Arise, Lord King, for the enemy is come; even Ambrosius and Uther, upon whose throne thou sittest – and full twenty thousand with them – and they have sworn by a great oath, Lord, to slay thee, ere this year be done; and even now they march towards thee as the north wind of winter for bitterness and haste.”

James Knowles, The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights

Third person

Let’s say that your team is playing in the championship game. Your team has never won this tournament. One of your best friends comes to watch you play. What point of view would be best to tell this story? Why?

First person point of view Your friend couldn’t describe the

feelings you felt during this game.