The person who tells a story is the narrator. If the narrator is one of the characters, then the story has the first-person point of view. You can tell because the narrator uses words like i and my. In this passage from “Growing Together,” the narrator tells her view of the events, not what other characters think or feel.

I drop the bike in the driveway and run to find my father.

I see him in the garden under the big magnolia.

A story may have the third-person point of view instead. The narrator in the following passage tells about Carmen. The narrator is not one of the characters in the story. When you read a story that has the third-person point of view, you may learn the thoughts and feelings of more than one character.

Carmen drops the bike in the driveway and runs to find her father. He is thinking about the weather as he digs in the garden under the big magnolia.

Practice Together

Find Point of View Read and analyze this passage to figure out the narrator’s point of view. Look for words like I and my.

When my family came to this small town in Georgia, it was a big change from our tropical island. In time, though, I started to like my new home. Soon I learned enough English to make a best friend.

Change Point of View Retell the passage to change the narrator’s point of view.

Try It!

With a partner, choose and analyze a passage in another personal narrative or fiction selection. How can you tell if the narrator is a character? Rewrite the passage to change the narrator’s point of view.