The point of view is the perspective a text is told from, and the personal pronouns show which one it is. First person speaks as I or we, second person speaks to you, and third person tells about he, she, it, or they.
Most people have no problem writing in the first person, perhaps because telling your own side of a story comes naturally. But what about the second and the third person? If you are unsure about either of them, here are the definitions of all three, with examples.
The personal pronouns are usually what separates these three ways of telling a story. The point of view you choose shapes the story or message, and it also sets the tone for how the story is written or told.
| Point of view | Pronouns | Often used for |
|---|---|---|
| First person | I, me, my, mine; we, us, our, ours | Memoirs, personal essays, diaries |
| Second person | you, your, yours | Instructions, emails, letters, speeches |
| Third person | he, she, it, they; him, her, them; his, hers, its, their, theirs | Fiction, news, academic writing |
First person
In the first person, the writer or narrator mostly uses the singular I. You can use I to talk about yourself, or we to talk about yourself together with others. The other first-person pronouns are me and us, and in the possessive case my, mine, our, and ours.
Autobiographies and memoirs are usually written in the first person, and so are personal essays, in which people write about themselves in their own words. The first person is also a good way to show how a narrator feels, so these 50 feelings you can portray in your writing may come in handy.
Examples of first-person writing:
In this article, I explain how I write in the first person. I share my own examples so that we can all understand how the rules work.
First-person shooter games are great. I get to defeat all the bad guys and use my gear any way I want.
We never really talked about how the divorce affected her this year. Instead, we both focused on our own problems.
Second person
When you want to explain something to someone directly, you use the second person, just as this lesson speaks to you, the reader. In second-person writing, the pronouns are you, your, and yours. They let you address one person or many people.
The second person is common in instructions and technical writing, such as this lesson, and in emails and messages. You also find it in business presentations, and whenever someone tells you exactly how to do something.
An example of the second person in the plural, written to a whole team:
Attention, everyone: the president of the company is visiting this week. Please be prepared, and keep your work area as clean and neat as possible. Also, make sure you never look as if you are not working. The visit may come when you least expect it.
An example of the second person in the singular, as you might write it in an email or a letter to one person:
Dear Angela, I am really sorry that you did not get the promotion you were hoping for. Perhaps next time they will finally notice how much of an asset you are to the team.
Third person
The best way to think of the third person is to imagine yourself as a camera recording what is going on. The third person is the most widely used point of view, both in traditional academic writing and in fiction. In most novels and stories, the characters are he and she, and the writer also uses him, her, his, hers, they, them, their, and theirs.
A third-person narrator is like an observer. Such a narrator can stay objective, or can see into the thoughts of one character (third person limited) or of all of them (third person omniscient).
Examples of third-person writing:
Many people who look up how to write in the third person still make mistakes. In many cases, they do not follow the examples they are given. Instead, they choose to use their own.
When Julissa and Hector met for the first time, they had no idea what the future held for them. At first, she did not like him at all. But over time, Hector won her heart with the beautiful things he said to her. Now they are inseparable, and they are getting married next month.
To practice all three points of view, try these 8 writing exercises to improve your writing skills.
Conclusion
Whether you choose the first, second, or third person point of view, think of your audience and of what you want to tell them. That helps you choose the point of view that best reaches them, tells your story, and makes your point.