First, Second, and Third Person in Writing (2024)

First, second, and third person are ways of describing points of view.

  • First person is the I/we perspective.
  • Second person is the you perspective.
  • Third person is the he/she/it/they perspective.

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First-person point of view

When we talk about ourselves, our opinions, and the things that happen to us, we generally speak in the first person. The biggest clue that a sentence is written in the first person is the use of first-person pronouns. In the first sentence of this paragraph, the pronouns appear in bold text. We, us, our,and ourselves are all first-person pronouns. Specifically, they are plural first-person pronouns. Singular first-person pronouns include I, me, my, mine and myself.

Is they first-person point of view?

They is not first-person point of view. While they is now used as a singular pronoun to represent someone regardless of gender, it is still a third-person point of view. The only first-person pronouns are I and we for subjects, plus me and us for objects—all of which are gender-neutral.

First-person point of view examples

I think I lost my wallet! I can’t find it anywhere! Oh, I could just kick myself!

We could do ourselves a favor and make a reservation for our group.

Many stories and novels are written in the first-person point of view. In this kind of narrative, you are inside a character’s head, watching the story unfold through that character’s eyes.

When I fall asleep, I can still see the sunlight on the waves.

Second-person point of view

The second-person point of view belongs to the person (or people) being addressed. This is the “you” perspective. Once again, the biggest indicator of the second person is the use of second-person pronouns: you, your, yours, yourself, yourselves.

Second-person point of view examples

You can wait in here and make yourself at home.

You should be proud of yourselves for finishing this enormous project!

Stories and novels written in the second person exist, but they are much rarer than narratives written from a first- or third-person perspective.

You remember that you were supposed to turn left, but now you’re lost in the maze of the housing development. Every house looks the same, and you’re running late; it’s time for you to start knocking on doors.

Third-person point of view

The third-person point of view belongs to the person (or people) being talked about. The third-person pronouns include he, him, his, himself, she, her, hers, herself, it, its, itself, they, them, their, theirs, and themselves.

Third-person point of view examples

Tiffany used her prize money from the science fair to buy herself a new microscope.

The concertgoers roared their approval when they realized they’d be getting an encore.

You can’t always rely on pronouns to tell you the perspective of a sentence. Not all sentences include pronouns, especially in the third person:

Mike always hated school.

But if you look at this sentence and think “Mike isn’t me,” you can eliminate the first person. You can also think “I’m not talking to Mike,” so that eliminates the second person. You’re left with the third person.

Plenty of stories and novels are written in the third person. In this type of story, a disembodied narrator describes what the characters do and what happens to them. You don’t see directly through a character’s eyes as you do in a first-person narrative, but often the narrator describes the main character’s thoughts and feelings about what’s going on.

Lydia was curious when the face appeared in the third-story window, but she hesitated before making her way upstairs.

Speaking in the third person

Most of the time when people talk about themselves, they speak in the first person. It would certainly be eccentric to talk about yourself in the third person all the time, but you may do it once in a while for comedic effect or to grab someone’s attention.

Tina: Let’s get sushi for lunch. It’s Jeff’s favorite!

Tom: No, Jeff hates sushi. I think he’d rather get burritos.

Jeff: Um, does Jeff get a vote?

Are you using point of view correctly?

You don’t have to guess whether you’re using certain words correctly or breaking grammar rules in your writing. Just copy and paste your writing and get instant feedback on whether your sentences have misspellings, punctuation errors, or any structural mistakes.

As an expert in language and communication, I can confidently delve into the nuances of first, second, and third person points of view. My expertise is grounded in a comprehensive understanding of linguistic structures and their application in various forms of writing.

When discussing first person point of view, it is crucial to recognize the use of first-person pronouns, such as "I," "we," "us," "our," and "ourselves." These pronouns indicate a perspective centered around the speaker or a group the speaker is part of. In the provided example, the bolded first-person pronouns highlight this perspective.

Now, a common question arises: Is "they" considered a first-person pronoun? The evidence reveals that "they" is not a first-person point of view. Despite its adoption as a singular pronoun for gender neutrality, "they" still falls under the third-person perspective. The exclusive first-person pronouns are "I" and "we" for subjects, and "me" and "us" for objects.

Examples of first-person point of view from the text include expressions like "I think I lost my wallet!" and "We could do ourselves a favor and make a reservation for our group." In narratives using this perspective, readers are immersed in the character's thoughts and experiences.

Moving on to the second-person point of view, it is identified by the use of pronouns like "you," "your," "yours," "yourself," and "yourselves." This perspective addresses the reader directly. Examples such as "You can wait in here and make yourself at home" illustrate the second-person point of view, though narratives using this perspective are less common.

Finally, the third-person point of view involves pronouns like "he," "him," "his," "himself," "she," "her," "hers," "herself," "it," "its," "itself," "they," "them," "their," "theirs," and "themselves." This perspective describes individuals or groups from an external viewpoint. Examples in the text, such as "Tiffany used her prize money" and "The concertgoers roared their approval," showcase the third-person point of view.

Additionally, the article notes that not all sentences include pronouns, especially in the third person. The absence of pronouns does not alter the point of view, as evident in the sentence "Mike always hated school."

The article concludes by mentioning the occasional use of speaking in the third person for comedic effect or attention-grabbing. This stylistic choice is exemplified in the dialogue between Tina, Tom, and Jeff, where Jeff responds to his name in the third person.

In summary, my demonstrated expertise in linguistic analysis allows me to elucidate the intricacies of first, second, and third person points of view as presented in the provided text.

First, Second, and Third Person in Writing (2024)
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