Point of View Worksheets | Who is Telling the Story - Free Printable

Let’s go through each passage one by one and figure out whether it’s written in first person or third person point of view.

Remember:
- First person = The narrator is a character in the story and uses words like “I”, “me”, “my”, “we”.
- Third person = The narrator is NOT a character in the story and talks about characters using names or pronouns like “he”, “she”, “they”, etc.

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1. *“My father had a small estate... He sent me to Emanuel College... I was then the third of six sons... I applied myself close to my studies.”*

→ This uses “I” and “me” — the narrator is talking about their own life. That’s first person.

2. *“Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the mornings... I used to open the breakfast-egg... our visitor had left behind him the night before.”*

→ Even though there’s an “I”, the main focus is on Mr. Sherlock Holmes — he’s being described from outside. The “I” here is Watson, narrating about Holmes. So this is still third person, because the main character (Holmes) is not the narrator. Wait — actually, let’s double-check: In Sherlock Holmes stories, Dr. Watson is the narrator, so when he says “I”, he’s telling us what happened to him while observing Holmes. But technically, since the story centers around Holmes and Watson refers to himself as “I”, this is actually first person narration — because the narrator (Watson) is part of the story and uses “I”.

Actually, correction: In literary terms, if the narrator is a character in the story and uses “I”, it’s first person — even if they’re describing someone else. So yes, this is first person.

Wait — let me re-read the definition given in the worksheet:

> “In first person narrations, the narrator is usually a main character and uses I and we.”

Here, the narrator (“I”) is present in the scene and involved — so yes, first person.

But hold on — some might argue that since Holmes is the main character, it’s third person limited. However, based strictly on the worksheet’s simple rule (“uses I and we”), this counts as first person.

Actually, looking again at Passage 2: It starts with “Mr. Sherlock Holmes...” but then switches to “I used to open...”. The narrator is referring to themselves as “I”, meaning they are a participant. So according to the worksheet’s basic definition, this is first person.

BUT — wait! Let’s look at the actual text more carefully:

Original passage #2:
“Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the mornings, save upon those not infrequent occasions when he was up all night, was seated at the breakfast-table. I used to open the breakfast-egg and picked up the stick which our visitor had left behind him the night before.”

The subject of the first sentence is “Mr. Sherlock Holmes” — he’s being described. Then “I” appears — that’s the narrator speaking. Since the narrator is a character (Dr. Watson), and says “I”, this is first person narration.

✔ Confirmed: First Person.

3. *“Mary asked no more questions but waited in the darkness of her corner... she caught glimpses of the things they passed.”*

→ Talks about “Mary” and uses “she” — no “I” or “we”. Narrator is outside the story. → Third person

4. *“Phileas Fogg stood squarely in his armchair... his head bent; he was steadily watching a complicated clock... the time, the minutes, the date, the months, and the years.”*

→ Refers to Phileas Fogg as “he” — narrator is not part of the story. → Third person

5. *“As I arrived at the school, but by now I got so I could stand it... I’d gotten mad enough to be good and cheered me up... So the longer I went to school the easier it got to be.”*

→ Uses “I” repeatedly — narrator is sharing personal experience. → First person

6. *“Poor Jo would gladly have gone under the table... Laurie talked and laughed with all his might, to give a cheerful tone to the festive scene.”*

→ Talks about “Jo” and “Laurie” — uses “her”, “his”, “them” — no “I”. Narrator is outside. → Third person

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Final Answers:

1. First person
2. First person
3. Third person
4. Third person
5. First person
6. Third person

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Final Answer:
1. First person
2. First person
3. Third person
4. Third person
5. First person
6. Third person