A photograph of a telescope with the words “Point of View” on the side of the viewer.

Source: "Point of View" binoculars in West Seattle, Jonathon Coman, Flickr

Among the most common points of view used in literature are

How do you discover what point of view the author is using? One easy way is to think of how characters enter a room and who relates their stories. If this seems odd, consider this scenario:

= A photograph of a boy sitting in a room alone.

Source: … and as the ship went down, you'd never looked finer, Adelie Freyja Annabel, Flickr

Imagine a room in a house. No one is there. It is an empty room. Time passes. Then, a character enters the room. Let’s say his name is Charlie. Charlie sees no one else in the room and has no idea how he got there. He is all alone.

take notes icon Use your notes and choose some pronouns from the table below to write a few things you think Charlie might be thinking. Remember, because no one is with Charlie, he can only tell his story in terms of what it means from one perspective—his own. When you are finished, check your understanding to see sample responses.

To get you started, here are a few examples:

I need to figure out how I got here.

Where are my friends?

I, we me, us my, mine, our, ours
he, she, it, they him, her, it, them his, her, hers, its, their, theirs


Check Your Understanding
Sample Responses:

My mind is really confused.
Where am I?
I’m feeling a little weird here.
Hello? Can anyone hear me?

A photograph of a sign that reads “Color Me Mine.”

Source: color me mine, contemplative imaging, Flickr

Did you notice how much you had to use the pronouns I, me, my, or mine? These pronouns are commonly used when a story is written in the first-person point of view.

Still think this is a little strange? Well, maybe it is, but remember that by imagining how characters enter a room and who tells their stories, you have an easy way to remember which point of view is which. So far, you’ve read an example that used a first-person point of view.

A photograph of several human like statues in a room. Two appear to be having a conversation while one listens on.

Source: Conversation Piece III, 2001, B, Flickr

What about third-person? Let’s go back to our room scenario. Imagine now that two additional characters join Charlie. Their names are Juan and Katie. Now the author has to decide who will narrate the story. Will it be Charlie, or will it be a narrator outside the story?

  1. If the author decides that Charlie will tell the events of the story as he sees them, the point of view will be first person, and you will see the pronouns I, we, me, us, my, mine, our, and ours.
  2. If the author decides that a narrator outside the story will relate the thoughts and actions of Charlie, Juan, and Katie (all of the characters), the point of view is third-person omniscient. You will see the pronouns he, she, it, they, him, her, them, his, hers, its, their, and theirs.
  3. If the author decides that a narrator outside the story will share the thoughts of one character, for example Katie, the point of view is third-person limited. You will see the pronouns he, she, it, they, him, her, them, his, hers, its, their, and theirs.