What You Need to Know

Key Concept Diagram

First person narration uses "I" — the narrator is a character sharing their own thoughts and feelings

Third person limited uses "he/she/they" and stays close to one character's perspective

Third person omniscient allows the narrator to know all characters' thoughts and feelings

The narrative voice determines how much information the reader receives and how they connect with characters

Key Vocabulary

Narrative voice

The perspective from which a story is told, determined by the pronouns used

First person

Narration using "I" or "we" — the narrator is a character in the story

Third person

Narration using "he", "she", or "they" — the narrator is outside the story

Omniscient

All-knowing; an omniscient narrator knows the thoughts of every character

Knowledge Check

Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.

Question 1

A story begins: "I watched nervously as the door slowly opened." What is the narrative voice?

Third person omniscient First person Third person limited Second person

Question 2

Which of the following is an advantage of first-person narration?

The reader knows what every character is thinking It allows the narrator to describe events they did not witness It creates a close, personal connection with the narrator It is the most objective way to tell a story

Question 3

"Emma felt terrified, but across town Jake was laughing, unaware of what had happened." Which voice is this?

First person Third person limited Second person Third person omniscient

Narrative Voice and Point of View