Determining Point of View worksheet for students to practice identifying narrative perspectives.

Let’s go through each sentence and figure out if it’s written in first person, second person, or third person.

Here’s how to tell:

- First person: Uses “I”, “me”, “my”, “we”, “us”, “our” — the speaker is part of the story.
- Second person: Uses “you”, “your” — talking directly to the reader.
- Third person: Uses “he”, “she”, “it”, “they”, names, or nouns — someone else is being talked about.

Now let’s look at each sentence:

1. The man reading the book looks as though he is lost.
→ Talks about “the man” → third person.

2. I once applied for a job and she got it.
→ Starts with “I” → first person.

3. I would have preferred a window seat.
→ “I” again → first person.

4. John likes to play computer games.
→ Talks about “John” → third person.

5. They were late, so they missed the first act.
→ “They” → third person.

6. We should elect a class president.
→ “We” → first person.

7. You should be more careful where you put your garbage.
→ “You” → second person.

8. You would make a good co-writer.
→ “You” → second person.

9. Watch me help this horse!
→ “me” is used by the speaker → first person.

10. They promised that we would enter the system.
→ “They” and “we” → both are third and first? Wait — the main subject is “they”, and “we” is included as part of the group being acted upon. But since the sentence starts with “They promised...”, the narrator is observing others → third person. However, “we” is first person plural. But in point of view classification, we usually go by the narrator’s perspective. Since “they” is doing the action and “we” is receiving it, and the sentence isn’t from “I” or “you”, it’s safest to say third person because the narrator is outside the action.

Wait — actually, let’s reconsider: “They promised that we would enter the system.” The speaker is including themselves (“we”) — so this is first person plural. Yes! Because “we” means the speaker + others. So this is first person.

Correction: Sentence 10 → first person

11. I liked to give them directions.
→ “I” → first person.

12. I want to see what he does.
→ “I” → first person.

Let me double-check #10:
“They promised that we would enter the system.”
If I say this, I’m part of “we” — so I’m speaking from my own experience → first person. Yes.

So final answers:

1. third person
2. first person
3. first person
4. third person
5. third person
6. first person
7. second person
8. second person
9. first person
10. first person
11. first person
12. first person

Final Answer:
1. third person
2. first person
3. first person
4. third person
5. third person
6. first person
7. second person
8. second person
9. first person
10. first person
11. first person
12. first person