Point of View and Perspective — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
Charlotte's Web opens with 'Where's Papa going with that ax?' said Fern, so the story is told in first person.
Corrected: Charlotte's Web opens with Fern speaking, but a third-person narrator describes her, so the story is told in third person.
Dialogue belongs to characters; POV depends on who is telling the whole story outside the quotation marks.
2. Fix the sentence:
Where the Wild Things Are uses the word 'Max' and 'he,' which means it is written in first-person point of view.
Corrected: Where the Wild Things Are uses 'Max' and 'he,' which means it is written in third-person point of view.
Third-person narrators use he, she, or they to describe characters from outside the story.
3. Fix the sentence:
When a story uses 'I went to the pond,' the narrator is watching from far away in third person.
Corrected: When a story uses 'I went to the pond,' the narrator is a character in the story telling it in first person.
First-person narrators speak as themselves and use I, me, my, and we throughout the story.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. If a narrator says, 'I packed my lunch,' the story is written in first person point of view.
First-person narrators use I and my to refer to themselves while telling the story.
2. In Charlotte's Web, the narrator describes Fern using 'she,' so it is written in third person.
Third-person narrators stand outside the action and use he, she, or they for characters.
3. A narrator who is also a character in the story is called a first-person narrator.
First-person narrators participate in the story and tell it through their own eyes.
4. The pronouns he, she, and they are clues that a story uses third person point of view.
Third-person POV uses he, she, it, and they because the narrator is not in the story.
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.
1. How can you tell that Where the Wild Things Are is written in third person?
Sample answer: The narrator calls the boy 'Max' and uses 'he,' never saying 'I,' which shows the storyteller is outside the story watching Max.
Identifying pronouns the narrator uses for characters is the quickest way to label POV.
2. Why does an author choose first-person point of view for some stories?
Sample answer: First person lets readers hear the character's own thoughts and feelings, making the story feel personal, honest, and close to the narrator's heart.
First-person POV builds intimacy because readers experience events through the narrator's mind.