Writing in Third Person – Examples & Worksheet

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| Candace Osmond

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Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond studied Advanced Writing & Editing Essentials at MHC. She’s been an International and USA TODAY Bestselling Author for over a decade. And she’s worked as an Editor for several mid-sized publications. Candace has a keen eye for content editing and a high degree of expertise in Fiction.

The third-person narrative is often employed in narrative writing because it zooms in and out of character perspectives to describe actions, feelings, emotions, and thoughts. If you’re unsure how to use the 3rd person perspective in writing, here are some tips and examples.

What is Third Person Narrative?

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The third person is one of three perspectives employed in speaking and writing. It’s used to describe the point of view of a third party and uses a variety of pronouns derived from he, her, and it. Books written in third person are often more popular, as well, for their ease of reading.

I often write in first-person narrative, but when I’m writing a complex story from the point of view of multiple characters, I use third person to make things more rounded and streamlined for the reader.

Using Third Person

Third person is a perspective used based on whoever the story or writing in question is about. The subject pronoun is outside of the narrator themself. Third-person texts do not include the perspective of the narrator/writer, nor does it address the reader directly. It also uses certain personal pronouns and possessive pronouns.

Example of a third person sentence:

Jeremy knew it was destined to be. He placed the dog in the backseat of his car and drove away. All he wanted at that time was to ensure the animal got the loving home he deserved.

Third Person Possessive Adjectives in Third Person

So, instead of using me, mine, ours, etc., you would use hers, his, theirs when writing in third person.

Does “You” Belong in 3rd Person Writing?

Third-person writing requires using third-person pronouns, including he, she, it, him, her, them, themselves, himself, herself, or a name. Using “you” means you’re switching to the second person.

How to Introduce Yourself in the Third Person

People typically use the first-person point of view when talking about themselves and their experiences. It would be odd to talk about oneself in the third person all the time, but you might use it occasionally for the sake of humorous effect or attract the attention of another person.

The third person introduces a third party to the person you’re speaking with. If you are a narrator, it’s best to introduce yourself in the first person and start narrating the events in the third person.

How to Start a Story in Third Person

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In a story, narrators use the third person if they are not part of the story themselves. Third-person narratives show us a person’s actions, feelings, and thoughts.

Example of how to write in third person:

Nadia dreamt about being a gymnast her entire life. Ever since she can remember, she’s worked hard, sacrificed a lot, and hoped someone would notice all her efforts. She was never the smartest kid in school, but she believed in herself enough to never give up on that spot on the podium.

What Are the 3 Types of 3rd Person?

In writing, there are three ways to approach third-person writing.

Third-Person Omniscient

The story’s narrator is all-knowing and can see into the past, present, and future. This narrator can assume other people’s perspectives, jumping around in time and providing the reader with their thoughts and observations.

Third-Person Limited Omniscient

In this point of view, the author focuses on one persona and never switches to another. In a novel, the narrator may use this technique throughout the work or employ it in alternating chapters or sections.

The author can regulate the reader’s knowledge and experience by writing from a limited point of view. Used effectively, it can create a palpable sense of anticipation and excitement.

Third-Person Objective

The narrator of a story told from the third-person objective perspective is unbiased and does not share the viewpoint of the character’s emotional reactions. The story is told in an objective, third-person style.

How to Write In Third Person About Yourself

The easiest way to approach this problem is to create a character. You can also use your actual name to write from the third-person perspective.

Why Write in Third-Person?

Fiction writing uses third-person POV quite often. Here are some advantages of employing it as part of your narrative style.

Strong Character Growth Is Emphasized

More characters can be highlighted in a story told from the third-person perspective than in the first- or second-person. These varying perspectives give the reader a complete understanding of the story since they shed light on the plot in ways the other characters cannot.

It Employs Flexible Narrative Possibilities

The advantages of writing in the third person include greater freedom to move around, giving the reader a comprehensive view, and shifting perspectives among multiple characters. You can switch between being completely all-knowing and having only partial or first-person knowledge.

This latter technique allows the reader to experience the world through the eyes of a character, allowing for a more profound understanding of that person and their surroundings.

Makes the Author More Reliable

Third-person narration places the reader in a vantage point far above the action. With the author/narrator not part of the story, they can rise above it, having nothing to lose or gain from certain narrative developments. This makes the story more reliable and lends the story more authority and credibility.

First, Second, and Third Person Pronouns

If you’re confused about the types of pronouns used in each of the three main perspectives, here is a comprehensive list:

  • First person pronouns: I, me, mine, myself, we, us, ourselves, ours.
  • Second person pronouns: you, your, yours.
  • Third person singular pronouns: he, him, his, she, her, it,
  • Third person plural pronouns: its, itself, they, them, their, theirs, themselves.

Bottom Line on Third Person

Writing in 3rd person grants the author more credibility and offers a more objective perspective of the characters in the text. Often employed in fictional and academic writing, the third-person point of view makes the text seem more authentic and factually correct.

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How to Write in Third Person

Last Updated: February 19, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alicia Cook . Alicia Cook is a Professional Writer based in Newark, New Jersey. With over 12 years of experience, Alicia specializes in poetry and uses her platform to advocate for families affected by addiction and to fight for breaking the stigma against addiction and mental illness. She holds a BA in English and Journalism from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Saint Peter’s University. Alicia is a bestselling poet with Andrews McMeel Publishing and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the NY Post, CNN, USA Today, the HuffPost, the LA Times, American Songwriter Magazine, and Bustle. She was named by Teen Vogue as one of the 10 social media poets to know and her poetry mixtape, “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately” was a finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,120,967 times.

Writing in third person can be a simple task, with a little practice. For academic purposes, third person writing means that the writer must avoid using subjective pronouns like “I” or “you.” For creative writing purposes, there are differences between third person omniscient, limited, objective, and episodically limited points of view. Choose which one fits your writing project.

Writing in Third Person Academically

Step 1 Use third person for all academic writing.

  • Third person helps the writing stay focused on facts and evidence instead of personal opinion.

Step 2 Use the correct pronouns.

  • Third person pronouns include: he, she, it; his, her, its; him, her, it; himself, herself, itself; they; them; their; themselves.
  • Names of other people are also considered appropriate for third person use.
  • Example: “ Smith believes differently. According to his research, earlier claims on the subject are incorrect.”

Step 3 Avoid first person pronouns.

  • First person pronouns include: I, me, my, mine, myself, we, us, our, ours, ourselves. [3] X Research source
  • The problem with first person is that, academically speaking, it sounds too personalized and too subjective. In other words, it may be difficult to convince the reader that the views and ideas being expressed are unbiased and untainted by personal feelings. Many times, when using first person in academic writing, people use phrases like "I think," "I believe," or "in my opinion."
  • Incorrect example: “Even though Smith thinks this way, I think his argument is incorrect.”
  • Correct example: “Even though Smith thinks this way, others in the field disagree.”

Step 4 Avoid second person pronouns.

  • Second person pronouns include: you, your, yours, yourself. [4] X Research source
  • One main problem with second person is that it can sound accusatory. It runs to risk of placing too much responsibility on the shoulders of the reader specifically and presently reading the work.
  • Incorrect example: “If you still disagree nowadays, then you must be ignorant of the facts.”
  • Correct example: “Someone who still disagrees nowadays must be ignorant of the facts.”

Step 5 Refer to the subject in general terms.

  • Indefinite third person nouns common to academic writing include: the writer, the reader, individuals, students, a student, an instructor, people, a person, a woman, a man, a child, researchers, scientists, writers, experts.
  • Example: “In spite of the challenges involved, researchers still persist in their claims.”
  • Indefinite third person pronouns include: one, anyone, everyone, someone, no one, another, any, each, either, everybody, neither, nobody, other, anybody, somebody, everything, someone.
  • Incorrect example: "You might be tempted to agree without all the facts."
  • Correct example: “ One might be tempted to agree without all the facts.”
  • This is usually done in an attempt to avoid the gender-specific “he” and “she” pronouns. The mistake here would be to use the “they” pronoun with singular conjugation. [5] X Research source
  • Incorrect example: “The witness wanted to offer anonymous testimony. They was afraid of getting hurt if their name was spread.”
  • Correct example: “The witness wanted to offer anonymous testimony. They were afraid of getting hurt if their name was spread.”

Writing in Third Person Omniscient

Step 1 Shift your focus from character to character.

  • For instance, a story may include four major characters: William, Bob, Erika, and Samantha. At various points throughout the story, the thoughts and actions of each character should be portrayed. These thoughts can occur within the same chapter or block of narration.
  • Writers of omniscient narratives should be conscious of “head-hopping” — that is, shifting character perspectives within a scene. While this does not technically break the rules of Third Person Omniscience, it is widely considered a hallmark of narrative laziness.

Alicia Cook

  • In a sense, the writer of a third person omniscient story is somewhat like the “god” of that story. The writer can observe the external actions of any character at any time, but unlike a limited human observer, the writer can also peek into the inner workings of that character at will, as well.
  • Know when to hold back. Even though a writer can reveal any information they choose to reveal, it may be more beneficial to reveal some things gradually. For instance, if one character is supposed to have a mysterious aura, it would be wise to limit access to that character's inner feelings for a while before revealing his or her true motives.

Step 3 Avoid use of the first person and second person pronouns.

  • Do not use first person and second person points of view in the narrative or descriptive portions of the text.
  • Correct example: Bob said to Erika, “I think this is creepy. What do you think?”
  • Incorrect example: I thought this was creepy, and Bob and Erika thought so, too. What do you think?

Writing in Third Person Limited

Step 1 Pick a single character to follow.

  • The thoughts and feelings of other characters remain an unknown for the writer throughout the duration of the text. There should be no switching back and forth between characters for this specific type of narrative viewpoint.
  • Unlike first person, where the narrator and protagonist are the same, third person limited puts a critical sliver of distance between protagonist and narrator. The writer has the choice to describe one main character’s nasty habit — something they wouldn’t readily reveal if the narration were left entirely to them.

Step 2 Refer to the character's actions and thoughts from the outside.

  • In other words, do not use first person pronouns like “I,” “me,” “my,” “we,” or “our” outside of dialog. The main character's thoughts and feelings are transparent to the writer, but that character should not double as a narrator.
  • Correct example: “Tiffany felt awful after the argument with her boyfriend.”
  • Correct example: “Tiffany thought, “I feel awful after that argument with my boyfriend.”
  • Incorrect example: “I felt awful after the argument with my boyfriend.”

Step 3 Focus on other characters' actions and words, not their thoughts or feelings.

  • Note that the writer can offer insight or guesses regarding the thoughts of other characters, but those guesses must be presented through the perspective of the main character.
  • Correct example: “Tiffany felt awful, but judging by the expression on Carl's face, she imagined that he felt just as bad if not worse.”
  • Incorrect example: “Tiffany felt awful. What she didn't know was that Carl felt even worse.”

Step 4 Do not reveal any information your main character would not know.

  • Correct example: “Tiffany watched from the window as Carl walked up to her house and rang the doorbell.”
  • Incorrect example: “As soon as Tiffany left the room, Carl let out a sigh of relief.”

Writing in Episodically Limited Third Person

Step 1 Jump from character to character.

  • Limit the amount of pov characters you include. You don't want to have too many characters that confuse your reader or serve no purpose. Each pov character should have a specific purpose for having a unique point of view. Ask yourself what each pov character contributes to the story.
  • For instance, in a romance story following two main characters, Kevin and Felicia, the writer may opt to explain the inner workings of both characters at different moments in the story.
  • One character may receive more attention than any other, but all main characters being followed should receive attention at some point in the story.

Step 2 Only focus on one character's thoughts and perspective at a time.

  • Multiple perspectives should not appear within the same narrative space. When one character's perspective ends, another character's can begin. The two perspectives should not be intermixed within the same space.
  • Incorrect example: “Kevin felt completely enamored of Felicia from the moment he met her. Felicia, on the other hand, had difficulty trusting Kevin.”

Step 3 Aim for smooth transitions.

  • In a novel-length work, a good time to switch perspective is at the start of a new chapter or at a chapter break.
  • The writer should also identify the character whose perspective is being followed at the start of the section, preferably in the first sentence. Otherwise, the reader may waste too much energy guessing.
  • Correct example: “Felicia hated to admit it, but the roses Kevin left on her doorstep were a pleasant surprise.”
  • Incorrect example: “The roses left on the doorstep seemed like a nice touch.”

Step 4 Understand who knows what.

  • For instance, if Kevin had a talk with Felicia's best friend about Felicia's feelings for him, Felicia herself would have no way of knowing what was said unless she witnessed the conversation or heard about it from either Kevin or her friend.

Writing in Third Person Objective

Step 1 Follow the actions of many characters.

  • There does not need to be a single main character to focus on. The writer can switch between characters, following different characters throughout the course of the narrative, as often as needed.
  • Stay away from first person terms like “I” and second person terms like “you” in the narrative, though. Only use first and second person within dialog.

Step 2 Do not attempt to get into directly into a character's head.

  • Imagine that you are an invisible bystander observing the actions and dialog of the characters in your story. You are not omniscient, so you do not have access to any character's inner thoughts and feelings. You only have access to each character's actions.
  • Correct example: “After class, Graham hurriedly left the room and rushed back to his dorm room.”
  • Incorrect example: “After class, Graham raced from the room and rushed back to his dorm room. The lecture had made him so angry that he felt as though he might snap at the next person he met.”

Step 3 Show but don't tell.

  • Correct example: “When no one else was watching her, Isabelle began to cry.”
  • Incorrect example: “Isabelle was too prideful to cry in front of other people, but she felt completely broken-hearted and began crying once she was alone.”

Step 4 Avoid inserting your own thoughts.

  • Let the reader draw his or her own conclusions. Present the actions of the character without analyzing them or explaining how those actions should be viewed.
  • Correct example: “Yolanda looked over her shoulder three times before sitting down.”
  • Incorrect example: “It might seem like a strange action, but Yolanda looked over her shoulder three times before sitting down. This compulsive habit is an indication of her paranoid state of mind.”

Examples of Third Person POV

third person view essay

Expert Q&A

Alicia Cook

You Might Also Like

Write in Third Person Omniscient

  • ↑ https://stlcc.edu/student-support/academic-success-and-tutoring/writing-center/writing-resources/point-of-view-in-academic-writing.aspx
  • ↑ http://studysupportresources.port.ac.uk/Writing%20in%20the%20third%20peson.pdf
  • ↑ http://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/third_person.htm
  • ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/use-the-singular-they/
  • ↑ Alicia Cook. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 11 December 2020.
  • ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/point-of-view-first-second-third-person-difference
  • ↑ https://ojs.library.dal.ca/YAHS/article/viewFile/7236/6278

About This Article

Alicia Cook

To write in third person, refer to people or characters by name or use third person pronouns like he, she, it; his, her, its; him, her, it; himself, herself, itself; they; them; their; and themselves. Avoid first and second person pronouns completely. For academic writing, focus on a general viewpoint rather than a specific person's to keep things in third person. In other types of writing, you can write in third person by shifting your focus from character to character or by focusing on a single character. To learn more from our Literary Studies Ph.D., like the differences between third person omniscient and third person limited writing, keep reading the article! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Table of Contents

Collaboration, information literacy, writing process, third-person point of view.

Many academic disciplines ask their writers to use third person point of view (POV). If so, then writing in the third person is important because your writing will appear professional and credible.

You may occasionally use first person POV to create a more personal tone, or second person POV to command a reader to do something. This depends on the assignment requirements, or on what your instructor recommends. If you are receiving this comment, then you should consider revising your use of other points-of-view to write your project in third person POV.

Third Person Personal Pronouns

Note: While the above pronouns represent the third person, instead of using it , that , these , those or this , specific words or phrases will better help readers follow the writer’s logic.

How do you change first or second person to third person?

Here is a table that shows several common instances of first or second person in essays and some examples of how to revise to the third person.

When is third-person point of view used?

Third person is used when a degree of objectivity is intended, and it is often used in academic documents, such as research and argument papers. This perspective directs the reader’s attention to the subject being presented and discussed. Third person personal pronouns include  he, she, it, they, him, her, them, his, her, hers, its, their,  and  theirs .

Examples of sentences written from the third person point of view:

  • She went to the library to consult with the reference librarian about her paper’s topic.
  • When he got to his car, he was glad to see that his friend was waiting for him .
  • The students entered the classroom nervously on the first day of class; they had not had the opportunity to become acquainted with their professor or with each other.
  • Jenny and her friend used backpacks to simplify the task of carrying books, notebooks, writing tools and a laptop around campus.
  • Human sex trafficking is a social problem that requires decisive action; its victims should be given the opportunity to escape the cycle of exploitation to which they have become slaves.

Brevity - Say More with Less

Brevity - Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Diction

Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity - Inclusive Language

Inclusivity - Inclusive Language

Simplicity

The Elements of Style - The DNA of Powerful Writing

Unity

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Third Person Point of View: The ‘He Said, She Said’ Narrative Style

Third person point of view is narrative style in which the narrator refers to all characters using the pronouns he , she , or they . An example of a sentence written in third person would be: 

She sat in the café waiting for her food to arrive. “What is taking so long?” she thought.

Writers can zero in on individual characters using third person limited , or zoom out and tell the story in third person omniscient , where the narrator is an all-knowing figure. Your POV choice will depend on what kind of story you want to tell, as you’ll discover in the next two posts in this series!

Here, however, we’ll simply cover everything you need to know about third person as a whole, and why writers might choose to use it over first or second person perspectives.

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Third person stories often have a wider scope

First and second person stories are great for their immediacy, placing the reader right in the action. However, can be restrictive if you want readers to see the bigger picture. Complex stories with a large primary cast often benefit from a narrator who can swiftly move between characters and locations instead of being tethered to your viewpoint character. An example would be George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series, an epic fantasy series sprawling in scope that features an entire chorus of POV characters. 

With each chapter break, Martin shifts to a new viewpoint character (while staying in third person), allowing him to span vast gaps in the geography of his world and give insight into each character’s personality.

The morning had dawned clear and cold, with a crispness that hinted at the end of summer. They set forth at daybreak to see a man beheaded, twenty in all, and Bran rode among them, nervous with excitement. This was the first time he had been deemed old enough to go with his lord father and his brothers to see the king's justice fine. It was the ninth year of summer, and the seventh of Bran's life.

The man had been taken outside a small holdfast in the hills. Robb thought he was a wildling, his sword sworn to Mance Rayder, King-beyond-the-Wall. It made Bran's skill prickle to think of it.

A Game of Thrones , George R.R. Martin

Martin’s third person narrator has the flexibilty to play this scene through the eyes of a nervously excited seven-year-old while also revealing useful expositional details like the idea of a “King-beyond-the-Wall” and Westeros’s decade-long gaps between winters.

Of course, one could argue that it’s possible to write a sprawling novel written from multiple first-person perspectives. But having an enormous cast all narrating in first person can be confusing, and would put a lot of pressure on the writer to sustain multiple convincing character voices. 

(Psst! For more help with characterization when dealing with a large chorus of characters, you can check out our free character profile resource below.)

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While third person narration can allow the reader a great deal of intimacy with viewpoint characters, there are added benefits to staying out of your protagonist’s head.

It’s great for intrigue and suspense

One challenge of writing in first person is knowing how to toe the line between what your narrator knows and what they should reveal. Third person adds a little more distance, making it easier to flesh out main characters or move the story along without divulging information you wish to reveal later on.

This lends itself particularly well to thriller and mystery novels, where some holding back certain bits of exposition is essential to heightening the suspense. It can also be useful when writing any kind of novel that wants to deploy backstory or character history at a time when it can have maximum impact.

On the other hand, the third person isn’t just great for characters keeping secrets from the reader. An all-knowing narrator can also be useful for creating dramatic irony , revealing details that the characters don’t know themselves. For example, in the final act of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Romeo discovers Juliet’s body. Unwilling to live in a world without the girl he has loved (for all of five days), he downs a vial of poison.

Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide!

Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on

The dashing rocks thy sea-sick weary bark!

Here’s to my love. O true apothecary,

Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.

— Romeo and Juliet (Act V, Scene III), William Shakespeare

At this point, the audience knows that Juliet is not dead — but merely sedated in a ploy to escape her family. The gulf between what the audience or reader knows and what the character knows creates an almost unbearable tension, bringing the story to its climax as Juliet awakens to discover her beloved’s corpse beside her.

A still from 1968's Romeo and Juliet

Of course, dramatic irony can also be deployed more light-heartedly — for example, in comedies of error where humor is driven by a character misinterpreting the world around them. And speaking of understanding the world…

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Third person can help you build up your world

A third person point of view can be a great choice when your story requires a certain amount of descriptive worldbuilding. Whilst first and second person narrators certainly talk about their environment, third person narratives can offer a more natural way to include worldbuilding exposition, especially when extended passages of description might be required. 

A first person narrator probably might not take the time to intricately describe something they’ve seen a thousand times. If you live in a world where society is ruled by a giant brain from outer space, you probably wouldn’t pause your story to arbitrarily explain the backstory of ‘President Lobularr the Cruel.' But a third person narrator will have no limits to what they might want to zero in on at any point in the story.

Though an all-seeing narrator gives writers the freedom to reveal setting and backstory in any way they see fit, don’t forget that one of the effective ways to draw readers into a setting is by showing how a character experiences that world. For example, in this passage from The Vanishing Half , author Brit Bennett describes a humid Louisiana rainstorm from the perspective of her protagonist, Desiree.

An excerpt from The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet

Instead of telling the reader that “it was a hot, rainy day,” this passage employs several “showing” devices, including strong verbs and sensory descriptions (“the sky hung heavy and hot,” “water splattering against their ankles”). Bennett evokes one of Desiree’s memories packed with specificity — the girls duck under “eaves” rather than just roofs, and the word “shrieked” conjures a very particular sound. The result practically drops the reader next to Desiree as she braids her daughter’s hair, half-lost in a ripple of nostalgia. 

Written in third person, this passage is just as intimate and personal as it would have been were being narrated directly by Desiree, once again showing the versatility of this viewpoint.

Want to learn more about "show, don't tell"? You can check out our free 10-day course all about this golden rule of writing — it's useful for more than just third person narratives.

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It’s a viewpoint that doesn’t distract from the narrative

In its enduring popularity, third person narratives have become the default mode of storytelling around the world, pre-dating even thelikes of Homer (the epic poet, not the animated nuclear engineer). As a result of its long and impressive history, this viewpoint has thebenefit of instant familiarity.

Starting a story in third person helps readers settle in right away, rather than asking them to adjust to the particular voice of a first-person narrator or the unusual directness of second person . Ever found a story’s first chapter hard to settle into? This may be because of an unconventional narrative style or unanswered questions about who is doing the talking distracting you. Third person narratives are relatively easy to get into the swing of.

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While many writers are keen to develop an utterly unique way of writing, most of the time, readers aren’t looking for something particularly experimental or opaque. In that way, the third person can be a writer’s best friend — a straightforward, versatile, and easily digestible narrative perspective that has stood the test of time.

And with that, we've concluded our post on third person point of view and how to write it! For more in-depth guidance on the two different styles of third person, limited and omniscient, be sure to check out the next couple of posts in this series.

In those posts, you’ll learn even more about which type of third person would best suit your own project, plus bonus tips on how to write in third person — to help you create a story that will be enjoyed by many more than three people, as it were.

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How to Write in Third Person Point of View

Sarah Oakley

Sarah Oakley

how to write in third person

Whether you’re going to write a short story, a novella, or a novel, one of the most important decisions you’ll need to make is which point of view (POV) to use.

Third person is the most popular POV for fiction writers to use. It gives the reader a chance to experience the narrative from a perspective above, or on the shoulder of, the characters.

In this article, we’ll learn what the third person POV is, how it compares to other points of view, and how to write in third person point of view.

What Is Third Person Point of View?

Third person pov meaning, how to write in third person, third person pov examples, conclusion on how to write in third person pov.

Third person POV is when the narrator exists outside of the story. This narrator relates the actions of the characters by using their name or third person pronouns such as “she,” “he,” and “they.”

There are three types of third person POV that you can choose from. Each POV provides a different reader experience as they reveal different amounts of information about the narrative, characters, and setting.

To decide on a POV, think about the type of story you are telling and whether your readers need to be aware of certain details at each point in the plot.

Third person narrators

1. Third Person Objective Point of View

The third person objective POV is a way to tell your story by giving the reader all the details within the scenes without including what is going on in the characters’ minds.

To write in the third person objective POV, you will need to create an unbiased narrator who doesn’t tell the reader the thoughts and feelings of the characters. Instead, your narrator will simply relay the actions and dialogue of the story in an objective, impartial telling of the events.

This is great for keeping distance between the reader and the characters. It’s like looking through the window of a stranger’s house and trying to figure out why everything is happening.

2. Third Person Omniscient Point of View

When writing in the third person omniscient POV, you give your reader an all-access pass to the thoughts and feelings of any character in each scene of your story. You can give as much detail about the scene as you can in the third person objective POV, but this time you can also include information from the characters’ perspectives.

The narrator you create to speak in the third person omniscient POV will need to relay the thoughts and feelings of all the relevant characters in the scene. You can do this by switching perspectives. This is sometimes called “head hopping.”

You can use head hopping to show conflict in the story. For example, one paragraph is from the main character’s perspective, as they give some important information to another character. Then, the next paragraph is from the perspective of the person who received the information, which shows their reaction to what the main character just said.

Third person omniscient is perfect for sharing all the little details about the world you have created and allows the reader to pick up clues that some characters might not have noticed. Some writers refer to the third person omniscient POV as an all-seeing being who likes to give their thoughts on the plot.

3. Third Person Limited Point of View

This narrator sits on the shoulder of your main character and tells the story from their perspective. It’s close to being first person, but the reader isn’t solely within the character’s mind and this narrator still uses third person pronouns and verbs.

Sometimes, the third person limited POV narrator sticks to a different character each chapter instead of one character throughout the entire story. We refer to this as a viewpoint character, as we are seeing the world from their perspective.

You are controlling the amount of information given to the reader by focusing on one character’s awareness, rather than all characters’.

First Person vs Third Person

First person POV gives readers full access to the thoughts and feelings of the main character, as they are the one telling the story. There isn’t a narrator getting between the reader and the character.

Another key part of writing in the first person POV is that the character uses first person pronouns to tell the story. They use “I,” “me,” “my,” and “myself” as they are talking about actions and experiences.

Remember : not all main characters notice everything going on around them. It can break the reader’s immersion if they are wondering how the main character knew they were about to die, but there were no clues it was about to happen. Not all characters are psychic!

first person vs third person

If you’re aiming to stick to one character’s thoughts and feelings, but you also want to add in some extra details that are in the character’s peripheral vision, try the third person limited perspective.

This POV can be used to great effect in thrillers where you want to stay close to the main character, so the reader connects with them.

Meanwhile, you can also give clues about things that are about to happen that the character is unaware of. Let us watch in horror as the character falls down a hole we all saw coming, but could do nothing to stop them.

Second Person vs Third Person

Second person POV puts you, the reader, in the driving seat as the main character. The narrator breaks the fourth wall and speaks to you directly.

This perspective uses second person pronouns such as “you,” “your,” and “yourself” to bring the reader into the narrative. The narrator uses third person pronouns to refer to other characters.

Second person works well in stories where you want full immersion for the reader. Some people love the feeling of being dropped onto the rollercoaster of drama in a good story. This is why second person is used in video games and Choose Your Own Adventure stories.

However, it is one of the least used POV types by fiction writers. One reason for this is that it takes a lot of skill to write about the reader in a way that feels natural to them while also giving away the right amount of information for the story. You don’t want your reader to lose interest because they don’t agree with something the narrator has said.

second person vs third person objective

Third person objective would be a better option if you don’t want to write as though your story is about the person reading it. The third person POV allows the reader to focus more on the narrative and everything else that’s going on around the characters.

So far, we’ve discussed what the third person POV is, but what does the “third person” part of that mean?

Third person is a grammatical style of writing that uses pronouns such as “she,” “he,” “they,” and “it.” It also uses proper nouns and names when referring to specific individuals and objects.

1. Decide If Third Person Provides the Right Reader Experience

Do you want to tell the story from within the mind of your main character? Do you want to make the reader the main character of the story? If the answer is no to both questions, it’s time to look at your options for writing in the third person.

2. Pick the Type of Third Person Narrator

Go over the details of your story and your characters. You will need to establish whether third person limited, third person objective, or third person omniscient is the best POV for your story.

3. Read Examples of Writing in Third Person

It’s important to take the time to analyze what works and what doesn’t work in third person narration. The best way to do this is by reading other works that use third person points of view.

Focus on the information they are sharing. Did it work? Would you have used a different type of narrator for that story?

4. Use a Consistent POV

Switching POVs is a habit that a lot of writers do if they’re writing in a POV they’re not used to. Don’t worry, it happens. However, being aware that this is something to avoid before you get 200 pages into your novel and realize you switched POVs back on page 90 can help you be more observant of your writing habits.

5. Use the Correct Pronouns—ProWritingAid Can Help!

The third person POV means using third person pronouns when your narrator is speaking. Remembering this is one of the best ways to catch yourself from slipping into different points of view.

first vs second vs third person pronouns

You can stop yourself from using the wrong pronouns by using ProWritingAid’s pronoun report. It’ll highlight all the examples of pronouns in your text, so you can easily work through your story and change them back into the third person if you’ve made any mistakes.

6. Create a Trustworthy Third Person Narrator

Your third person narrator is the voice of your narrative. How do they tell the story? Do we believe them?

Readers need to feel like your narrator has the authority to tell these events in a way that satisfies them. If you want to share the thoughts and feelings of the characters, the narrator needs to sound like they are confident in the details they are sharing.

Third Person Objective Example

If you’re wondering how to show conflict when writing in the third person objective POV, we would recommend reading Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway.

Let’s look at an excerpt from the story:

The woman brought two glasses of beer and two felt pads. She put the felt pads and the beer glasses on the table and looked at the man and the girl. The girl was looking off at the line of hills. They were white in the sun and the country was brown and dry. “They look like white elephants,” she said. “I’ve never seen one.” The man drank his beer. “No, you wouldn’t have.” “I might have,” the man said. “Just because you say I wouldn’t have doesn’t prove anything.” The girl looked at the bead curtain. “They’ve painted something on it,” she said. “What does it say?” “Anis del Toro. It’s a drink.”

As you can see from this extract, the third person objective narrator is relaying the information about the scene without being biased to either of the characters. They do not quote the characters’ thoughts or feelings; they simply give details about their actions and words.

As a reader, you can still imagine what the characters are thinking and feeling, as the conflict is laid out bare for you to witness.

Third Person Omniscient Example

Readers of the third person omniscient POV expect the narrator to be all-seeing and all-knowing, so it makes sense that the narrator in Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett is “God” or the “Almighty.”

Here’s an extract from the novel:

“Er. Okay,” he said. “I’ll, er, be off then. Shall I? Get it over with. Not that I want to get it over with,” he added hurriedly, aware of the things that could happen if Hastur turned in an unfavourable report. “But you know me. Keen. So I’ll be popping along,” Cowley babbled. “See you guys... see you. Er. Great. Fine. Ciao.” As the Bentley skipped off into the darkness Ligur said, “Wossat mean?” “It’s Italian,” said Hastur. “I think it means food .” “Funny thing to say, then.” Ligur stared at the retreating tail-lights. “You trust him?” he said. “No,” said Hastur. “Right,” said Ligur. It’d be a funny old world, he reflected, if demons went round trusting one another.

This example shows how the third person omniscient narrator pops into the heads of several characters in one passage. At the beginning, we’re in Cowley’s mind, which is shown by the phrase “aware of things that could happen if Hastur turned in an unfavourable report.” However, within a few lines, we pop into Ligur’s mind, which is apparent in the sentence, “It’d be a funny old world, he reflected, if demons went round trusting one another.”

Third Person Limited Example

If you’re looking for examples of third person limited narrators that tell the story from one character’s perspective, we would recommend reading Happily Ever After by Harriet Evans.

Let’s check out a section of the novel:

She knew his face so well, knew him so well, how he drummed his fingers on any spare surface, how he looked vague when trying to get out of things, how his mouth curled to the side when he was making a joke. But she’d never sat this close to him before, because he was her boss. It didn’t feel like that tonight. It was as if they were different people. It was nice. Rory was nice, but then, she’d always known that.

Romance writers like writing first person POV, but third person limited also works well in this genre, like in this extract. The narrator is giving us a direct connection to the mind of the main character (Elle). They do this by describing everything Elle’s noticed about the man she’s attracted to.

Elle realizes her boss has always been nice and we get the impression she’s always secretly wanted to date him. The narrator shows us this by giving us Elle’s perspective on what’s happening in the scene. It’s as close as the narrator can be without Elle telling the story herself.

As you can see, writing in the third person isn’t hard when you follow the step-by-step process. It’s a lot of fun to experiment with the different types of third person POV. Which one do you prefer?

Don’t forget, if you’re worried about slipping into different POVs within your writing, you can always use the ProWritingAid pronoun report to keep you in check!

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##About Sarah is a romance writer with a passion for studying human connections and psychology. She lives with her fiancé and two cats in Gloucester, UK. When she’s not writing, Sarah enjoys visiting theme parks, singing along to rock songs, and planning her next vacation. ##Writing Experience Sarah is an aspiring screenwriter who hopes to see her name in the credits of a romance film one day. She has also written short stories and has had many ideas for novels in a variety of genres. ##Education Sarah has been studying the art of writing and film from the age of 16 and she holds a BA in Creative Writing.

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How to write in third-person

How to write in third person

Although there are three narratives you can use in any form of writing when it comes to your papers and anything academic you produce, it’s best to choose the third-person. It’s pretty simple with a bit of practice, but if you’re completely new to this writing style, here’s what you need to know about how to write in third-person.

What does writing in third-person mean?

Writing in third-person is one of the three styles you can use when describing a point of view. Even though you might not know it, chances are you’ve used first, second and third person in writing projects throughout your education.

It’s a narrative where you’re totally independent of the subject you’re analyzing and writing about. You don’t take sides. You don’t try to influence what readers feel. It’s a completely unbiased, objective way of writing that tells a story or dissects a topic right down the middle.

There’s a lot of information out there about how you can differentiate between the three in roundabout ways, making it unnecessarily complicated. Here’s a quick breakdown to understand the differences for when you write your following paper:

First-person

This is from the I/we perspective. It’s where we talk about us , ourselves, and our opinions. If we go down the first-person route, writing will include pronouns like I , me , myself, and mine .

Second-person

This point of view belongs to the person you’re addressing — so its a you perspective. In your writing, you’d use second-person pronouns such as you , your, and yourselves .

Third-person

The third-person point of view is aimed at the person or people being talked about, which is the type of writing you’d find in stories. In this perspective, you’d use pronouns like he , she , him , her , his , hers , himself , herself , it , them , their, and themselves . Or, you’d use a name. But that tends to happen more in stories than research papers.

Notice the difference between the three?

When to write in third-person

The third-person point of view tells the reader a story and it’s often the go-to when you’re taking an authoritative stance in your papers, which is why it’s so common in academic writing.

So, always choose the third-person stance when writing academic copy, such as essays and research papers.

The reason for this is it’ll make your papers less personal and more objective, meaning the objectivity will make you come across as more credible and less biased. Ultimately, this will help your grades as the third-person view keeps you focused on evidence and facts instead of your opinion.

You can break third-person perspectives into three other types, including omniscient, limited, and objective. Although they’re more associated with creative writing than academic work and essays, your writing is likely to fall under the third-person objective point of view.

A third-person objective point of view is about being neutral and presenting your findings and research in an observational way, rather than influencing the reader with your opinions.

How to use the third-person point of view

Rule number one: Never refer to yourself in your essay in the third-person. That’s a no-no.

For instance, here’s how you shouldn’t write a sentence in your essay if you’re writing about virtual learning as an example.

“I feel like students perform better at home because they have more freedom and are more comfortable.”

It’s a simple sentence, but there’s a lot wrong with it when you’re talking about research papers and adopting a third-person narrative. Why? Because you’re using first-person pronouns and, as it sounds like an opinion, you can’t back up your claims with a stat or any credible research. There’s no substance to it whatsoever.

Also, it isn’t very assertive. The person marking your work won’t be impressed by “I feel like,” because it shows no authority and highlights that it came from your brain and not anywhere of note.

By including terms like “I think” or “I feel” like in the example above, you’re already off to a bad start.

But when you switch that example to the third-person point of view, you can cite your sources , which is precisely what you need to do in your essays and research papers to achieve higher grades.

Let’s switch that sentence up and expand it using the third-person point of view:

“A psychological study from Karrie Goodwin shows that students thrive in virtual classrooms as it offers flexibility. They can make their own hours and take regular breaks. Another study from high school teacher, Ashlee Trip, highlighted that children enjoy freedom, the ability to work at their own pace and decide what their day will look like.”

With a third-person narrative, you can present evidence to the reader and back up the claims you make. So, it not only shows what you know, but it also shows you took the time to research and strengthen your paper with credible resources and facts — not just opinions.

6 tips for writing in third-person

1. understand your voice won’t always shine in your essays.

Every single piece of writing tends to have a voice or point of view as if you’re speaking to the reader directly. However, that can’t always happen in academic writing as it’s objective compared to a novel, for example. Don’t try to ‘fluff’ up your piece to try and cram your personality in, as your academic work doesn’t need it.

2. Don’t focus on yourself or the reader — focus on the text

An academic piece of work always has a formal tone as it’s objective. When you write your next paper, focus on the writing itself rather than the writer or the reader.

3. Coach yourself out of using first-person pronouns

This is easier said than done if all you’ve ever done is first- or second-person writing. When you write your next paper, scan through it to see if you’ve written anything in first-person and replace it with the third-person narrative.

Here are a few regular offenders that pop up in academic papers — along with how you can switch the statements to third-person:

  • I argue should be this essay argues
  • I found that should be it was found that
  • We researched should be the group researched
  • I will also analyze should be topic X will also be analyzed

The same applies to second-person, as there are plenty of cases where it tends to slip through in academic writing. Again, it’s pretty straightforward to switch the more you practice. For instance:

  • Your paper will be marked higher if you use a citation tool should be the use of a citation tool will improve one’s grades

4. Be as specific as possible

This is where things can get a little bit confusing. Writing in third-person is all about including pronouns like he, she, it, and they. However, using them towards the beginning of sentences can be pretty vague and might even confuse the reader — this is the last thing you want from your essay or paper.

Instead, try using nouns towards the beginning of sentences. For example, use the actual subject, such as the interviewer or the writer, rather than he, she, or they when you begin the sentence.

The same applies to terms like it. Start the sentence with the ‘it’ is that you’re describing. If it’s a citation tool, begin the sentence by referencing what you’re discussing, so you aren’t vague. Clarity is key.

5. Write in the present tense when using third-person

In any form of academic writing, you need to write your reports, essays, and research papers in the present tense, especially when introducing different subjects or findings.

So, rather than saying “This paper analyzed” (which does seem correct as technically that part was in the past and the writing is in the present), you should write “This report analyzes” — as if you’re analyzing right here and now.

However, the difference is when you highlight how you did the research, that should be in the past tense. This means you’d use third-person phrases like “The equipment that was used” or “The results were analyzed by”, for instance.

6. Avoid adding your own thoughts

If your report is on a subject that’s close to your heart, it can be super tempting to sprinkle in your own thoughts. It’s a challenge, but you need to coach yourself out of it.

In academic writing, you aren’t a commentator. You’re a reporter. You need to let readers draw their conclusions without over-analyzing them or making the reader lean one way or another.

The easiest way to get to grips with writing your academic papers in the third-person is to be consistent and practice often. Criticize your work and analyze it until it becomes the norm. Yes, it can be a little complex in the early days, but before you know it, you’d have mastered the technique, helping you take your papers and reports up a level.

Frequently Asked Questions about writing in third-person

In third-person, you’d use pronouns like he , she , him , her , his , hers , himself , herself , it , them , their, and themselves . Or, you’d use a name.

You is used in second person and is therefore not used in third person. The second person is used for the person that is being addressed.

The third-person point of view is aimed at the person or people being talked about, which is the type of writing you’d find in stories. When writing in third-person view, make sure to write in the present tense and avoid adding your own thoughts.

When writing in third person, you should actually always write in the present tense since you are mostly presenting results in this view.

The second person point of view belongs to the person you’re addressing — so its a you perspective. In your writing, you’d use second-person pronouns such as you , your, and yourselves .

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How to Write in the Third Person

You may have heard someone talking about third person POV in an English class or on a writers’ panel. What does it mean? POV stands for point of view, and any piece of prose writing has one. The point of view helps anchor the reader, and it makes the text easier to understand. Even in a story that doesn’t appear to come from a particular character’s voice, we can still assign the narration a point of view. When the point of view isn’t yours (second person) or mine (first person), then we call it third person narration. In this article, we’ll give you some tips to help you learn to write this way.

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Avoid First Person

First person emphasizes the subjective point of view, and you can easily identify this writing style through the use of the pronouns “I” and “me”. Imagine an autobiography. The narrator explains his or her life by using phrases like this one: “I was born in a small town.” In a biography, written by another person, the text might read: “She was born in a small town.” That’s the difference between first person and third person. In first person, the narrator is the main character or, if not the main character, a character in the action. On the other hand, when a book is written in the third person, the story does not come from the point of view of a character. Instead, the writing describes things that happen to other people, characters besides the writer or the reader. 

First person writing can be identified by the use of the following pronouns:

Avoid Second Person

Second person narration comes from the point of view of the reader. A second person point of view can often be found in the self-help or how-to genres, as well as in choice-based adventure books. “Choose Your Own Adventure® gamebooks began life in 1979 as the first publishing effort of a new division at Bantam Books focused on younger readers,” according to Chooseco LLC . Today, 265 million books have been published in this style. Let’s look at the summary of one of these books for a memorable example of second person narration:

“ You are a mountain climber, headed to the Himalayas to find proof that the mysterious yeti really exists. When your best friend Carlos goes missing from base camp, the fate of the expedition is in your hands.” — The Abominable Snowman 

We added the bold font above to draw attention to some important pronouns. It’s easy to identify second person narration because it features second person pronouns:

What Is Third Person?

When a piece of writing does not assume the perspective of either the reader or the writer, it’s written in the third person point of view. Third person narratives have three distinct styles, known as third person objective, third person omniscient, and third person limited omniscient. You can recognize all three of these points of view through the use of third person pronouns, which include:

Third Person Objective

Imagine a history essay or a science article, written by a distant and neutral third party. The writer does not attempt to explain the perspective of any character; instead, he or she reports on the events with dispassion. If any opinions made their way into the text, they are properly attributed to the source. 

Congressman Smith said, “X, Y, Z.” His constituent disagreed, arguing A. 

The author of a third person objective article would never presume to speak for another person’s inner thoughts. Instead, the writer aims to present the facts and events in an orderly way, attributing the actions and dialogue to the proper characters. 

This writing style is frequently used in academic writing and professional writing, but it can be used by fiction writers as well. As long as the author does not place thoughts inside the heads of characters, third person objective can work for any style of prose writing. If a writer wanted the reader to understand a character’s emotional state, he or she would have to make reference to body language, facial expression, and dialogue; otherwise, the character’s thoughts would remain opaque. The internal monologue of any character remains off limits from the objective point of view. 

Third Person Omniscient

The third person omniscient point of view frequently appears in fiction writing. With this style, an all-knowing narrator has the ability to get inside any character’s head. That’s why an omniscient point of view can be thought of as “head-hopping.” The narrator has knowledge of everything. The characters have nowhere to hide—even their most intimate thoughts may be plumbed. Personal opinions and internal dialogue are all fair game, for any of the characters. In this style of writing, you can expect to see different points of view. As a reader, you can expect to know more about the different characters than the characters know about each other. 

Third Person Limited Omniscient

Sometimes a writer engages a third person perspective, but they elevate one character above the rest. The writer may expound on that character’s thoughts, inner dialogue, and perspective. The focal character for the third person limited point of view is often called the viewpoint character. Typically, the viewpoint character is a main character in the story. The writer provides the reader with comprehensive access to this character’s thoughts, but all the other characters must be understood through actions, gestures, and dialogue. The reader must get by with limited information, since they rely on what the viewpoint character knows. 

Still, the reader does not go “inside the head” of the viewpoint character completely. Rather than writing from the main character’s perspective in the first person point of view, the writer maintains a third person writing style. Without using first person pronouns, the author explores the thoughts of a single character. The narrator describes she and her, not I and me. 

She worried that she would be late, but didn’t bother to tell her sister. 

In the example above, the reader understands what the viewpoint character is thinking. On the other hand, the sister cannot read the viewpoint character’s thoughts. Likewise, the reader is not privy to the sister’s thoughts. 

The omniscient limited and omniscient POV appear most commonly in creative writing. In general terms, third person objective or first person would be a more common choice for essays, articles, and nonfiction books. 

Blending Perspectives

Now that you know the conventions for writing in first person, second person, third person objective, third person limited, and third person limited omniscient, you may want to revisit some of your favorite works of literature. Try to figure out their points of view, and think about why the author picked that perspective. 

In your research, you may come across some books that defy categorization. Moby Dick by Herman Melville and Ulysses by James Joyce come to mind. Both books shift between third person and first person narration. Many fiction writers, especially modernist writers, flout convention by using a number of different narrative styles within the same work. 

In creative writing, you should feel free to break the rules. Just be sure to understand the rules as you break them!

  • https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-point-of-view.html
  • https://www.britannica.com/art/novel/Narrative-method-and-point-of-view
  • https://www.dictionary.com/e/1st-person-vs-2nd-person-vs-3rd-person-pov/
  • https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/point-of-view-first-second-third-person-difference
  • https://www.cyoa.com/

Kari Lisa Johnson

I’m an award-winning playwright with a penchant for wordplay. After earning a perfect score on the Writing SAT, I worked my way through Brown University by moonlighting as a Kaplan Test Prep tutor. I received a BA with honors in Literary Arts (Playwriting)—which gave me the opportunity to study under Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel. In my previous roles as new media producer with Rosetta Stone, director of marketing for global ventures with The Juilliard School, and vice president of digital strategy with Up & Coming Media, I helped develop the voice for international brands. From my home office in Maui, Hawaii, I currently work on freelance and ghostwriting projects.

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Third person narrative viewpoint

Third Person Point Of View Explained (With Examples)

Gary Smailes

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on the Third Person Point of View in narrative writing.

This article delves deep into what constitutes a narrative point of view, focusing on the third-person perspective. We explore its historical evolution , analyze its different types (limited, omniscient, objective), and discuss its varied applications across different literary genres . Additionally, we compare it with first and second-person narratives to provide a complete understanding of its unique attributes. Whether you're a budding writer or a seasoned author, this article offers invaluable insights into mastering the art of third-person narration.

Table of Contents

What is Narrative Point of View?

What is third person point of view, historical evolution of third-person point of view, different types of third person point of view, genre-specific uses of third-person point of view, flexibility and adaptability of third-person point of view, comparative analysis with first and second person narratives, subjective and objective narrative point of view, omniscient and limited narrative points of view, advantages and disadvantages of third person point of view, comparative view with first and second person povs, frequently asked questions, final thoughts.

When writing a novel, you must choose which narrative viewpoint will work best for you and your book. This choice of narrative point of view is an essential part of any writing journey.

The most common narrative point of view is a third person viewpoint. In third person point of view the narrator refers to all characters with a third person pronouns such as 'he', 'she', or 'they'.

In other words, the narrator is not a story's character but a separate entity.

In this article, you'll learn about third person point of view. You'll discover the best variety of third person point of view and when to apply third person perspective to your writing.

To fully understand third person point of view, we must first look at narrative viewpoint in general.

In fact, we must take one step further back and consider narration as a whole.

Wikipedia describes narration as 'the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience'. [ source ]

In other words, it is the way a story is told to the reader.

Narration is split into three elements:

  • Narrative point of view : the grammatical person used by the narrator to refer to the character being narrated.
  • Narrative tense : the consistent use of the grammatical tense of either past or present.
  • Narrative techniques : methods of conveying the story.

Of these three elements, it is narrative point of view that interests us.

The person who tells a story is known as the narrator; this might be a character in the story, but it might also be a separate 'voice' independent of the other characters.

The narrative point of view is determined by 'who' tells the story and 'how the story is told'.

There are three different types of narrative view point: first person viewpoint , second person viewpoint and third person viewpoint.

This article looks at first person.

If you would like to learn more about the specifics of all different points of view, this extensive article called Mastering Point Of View In Writing: A Comprehensive Guide will prove to be an effective resource.

One way to identify your viewpoint is to look carefully at your pronouns. This pronoun will often tell you a lot about the viewpoint.

In third person point of view, the narrator refers to all characters with third-person pronouns such as 'he', 'she', or 'they'.

So 'they' can be considered a third person pronoun.

Remember, the narrator is not a character in the story and is a separate entity, this means they will refer to characters as separate people and not use a pronoun such as 'I"/.

Third person point of view is, by far, the most common method of storytelling and has been the viewpoint of choice for some of the best-known stories in the English language. Here's the opening from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice a novel famously written from a third person point of view.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters. "My dear Mr. Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?" Mr. Bennet replied that he had not. "But it is," returned she; "for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it." Mr. Bennet made no answer. "Do you not want to know who has taken it?" cried his wife impatiently. "You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it." This was invitation enough.

One clear distinction of the third person point of view is that the narrator is someone separate from the novel's characters. In fact, the narrator is almost always unidentified. This leads to a third-person narrator often being called an 'anonymous narrator'.

This is very different from a first-person narrator, where the narrator is both identified and a character within the novel.

The origins of the third-person point of view in literature can be traced back to ancient epic tales and classical texts. These early examples often employed a narrative style that was external to the characters, focusing on their actions rather than internal thoughts.

During the Renaissance, the third-person narrative began to evolve, offering deeper character insights. The Romantic and Victorian eras saw further development, with authors like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens using this perspective to explore complex social themes and character psychology. The Modernist movement brought experimental approaches to third-person narration, challenging traditional storytelling methods.

In contemporary literature, the third-person point of view continues to be versatile, adapting to various narrative styles and genres. Recent trends include the blending of third-person with other perspectives and the use of a more intimate, character-focused approach. This evolution reflects the ongoing innovation in storytelling techniques and the diverse ways in which writers engage with their readers.

When learning about third person points of view, the most confusing element for new writers is the distinction between the different types of third-person viewpoints. All third person point of view is written using a detached and anonymous narrator, but the information the narrator possesses about the characters differs significantly between different types of viewpoint.

All third person points of view sit somewhere on an axis between subjective/objective and omniscient/limited.

We look at these in more detail below, but it is essential to understand that all third-person viewpoints will be between subjective and objective and omniscient and limited. In most cases, a viewpoint tends to be either subjective OR objective and omniscient OR limited. This is not always the case. Some narrative stances can move along these axes as the story progresses, but this is uncommon.

Third-Person Limited POV

In the Third-Person Limited POV , the narrator tells the story from the perspective of one character at a time. This approach provides insight into the thoughts and feelings of the focal character, while other characters are presented externally. It's akin to looking over the shoulder of the protagonist, experiencing the world and events through their eyes. This POV is particularly effective in creating a deep connection with the character while maintaining the authorial distance of third-person narration.

Third-Person Omniscient POV

The Third-Person Omniscient POV offers a 'godlike' perspective, where the narrator knows everything happening in the story world. This includes access to the thoughts, feelings, and backgrounds of all characters. It allows for a broad and all-encompassing view of the narrative, making it ideal for complex stories with multiple characters and intricate plots. The omniscient POV can provide a comprehensive understanding of the events and motivations behind characters' actions.

Third-Person Objective POV

The Third-Person Objective POV presents a more detached view. Here, the narrator reports events without delving into the internal thoughts or feelings of any character, akin to a camera recording the unfolding action. This style creates a sense of objectivity and is often used in journalistic writing or stories where the focus is more on events than on characters' internal experiences. It leaves much to the reader's interpretation, as they only witness actions and dialogues without being privy to the characters' internal states.

The third-person point of view offers unique advantages in various literary genres, each employing this perspective to enhance storytelling in distinct ways. From the expansive worlds of fantasy to the intricate character dynamics in romance, this point of view adapts to the needs of different narratives. Let's explore how the third-person POV is tailored to enrich the reader's experience in key genres like Fantasy and Sci-Fi, Mystery and Thriller, and Romance and Historical Fiction.

Fantasy and Sci-Fi

In Fantasy and Sci-Fi genres, the third-person point of view is pivotal for world-building and handling complex plotlines. It allows authors to introduce fantastical elements and expansive universes from a perspective that can encompass vast settings and multiple character arcs. The omniscient viewpoint is particularly useful in these genres, providing a godlike view of invented worlds and the intricate interplay of characters within them. For example, George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series masterfully uses this POV to navigate a complex world with a large cast of characters.

Mystery and Thriller

For Mystery and Thriller novels, the third-person limited POV is often preferred. It allows readers to follow the protagonist's journey closely, unraveling mysteries and encountering surprises alongside them. This POV can also shift between characters, offering varied perspectives on the unfolding plot and enhancing the suspense. An excellent example of this is Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl , where the third-person limited perspective deepens the mystery and complexity of the narrative.

Romance and Historical Fiction

In Romance and Historical Fiction , the third-person limited POV is frequently used to delve deep into characters' emotions and relationships, while also providing historical context. It balances the intimacy of first-person with the broader scope of third-person, allowing for a detailed exploration of the characters' internal and external worlds. The narrative can switch between the perspectives of different characters, offering a comprehensive view of their emotions and the dynamics of their relationships. A notable example is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice , which uses third-person limited POV to explore the nuances of romantic relationships and social dynamics of the era.

The third-person point of view stands out for its remarkable flexibility and adaptability in storytelling. This versatility allows writers to adjust the narrative's lens as needed, seamlessly shifting from an overarching, all-knowing perspective to a more focused, character-specific view. The third-person POV can provide a broad view of the story world and its various inhabitants or zoom in to offer a detailed, intimate portrayal of a single character's experiences and perceptions.

Its adaptability extends to how it can accommodate shifts in tone, perspective, and narrative depth. Writers can choose to narrate events in a straightforward, objective manner or adopt a more subjective approach, delving into the characters' innermost thoughts and feelings. This flexibility makes the third-person POV an excellent choice for a wide range of literary works, from intricate multi-character epics to deeply personal character studies.

Moreover, the third-person perspective can bridge the gap between the immersive, personal experience of the first-person POV and the broader, more inclusive scope of an omniscient narrator. It allows authors to maintain narrative consistency while still providing the freedom to explore the inner workings of their characters' minds or to step back and present events in a more detached, unbiased manner.

In the realm of narrative writing, choosing the right point of view (POV) is crucial for shaping the reader's experience. This section offers a comparative analysis of the third-person POV against the first and second-person perspectives. Each POV brings its unique flavor to storytelling, influencing the reader's connection with the narrative. Understanding these differences helps writers select the POV that best suits their storytelling goals.

Comparison with First Person

Compared to the first-person POV , where the story is told directly by a character using "I," the third-person POV provides more narrative flexibility. First-person narration offers an intimate, subjective view of the story, deeply immersing readers in the narrator's personal experiences and emotions. In contrast, third-person narration can offer varying degrees of objectivity and omniscience, enabling a wider view of the story world and multiple characters' perspectives.

Comparison with Second Person

The second-person POV , which addresses the reader as "you," creates a unique, direct engagement with the narrative, often placing the reader in the protagonist's shoes. This POV is less common and can offer an intense, immersive experience. The third-person POV, by comparison, provides a more traditional storytelling format, allowing readers to observe the story from a distance, without the direct involvement implied by second-person narration.

Balancing Perspective

Choosing between first, second, and third-person POVs depends on the desired narrative impact. The third-person POV strikes a balance between the intimate connection of first-person and the immersive directive of second-person. It can be tailored to either bring readers closer to the characters' inner worlds or provide a panoramic view of the story, making it a versatile tool for storytellers to achieve their desired narrative effect.

Third person point of view subjective narration involves a narrator with access to one or more character's personal feelings and thoughts. In other words, the narrator understands the thoughts and feelings of, at least, one character.

This is a common type of storytelling. The narrator typically focuses on one character (though not always), who is the main character.

A great example of Third-person subjective narration is Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea .

He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. In the first forty days a boy had been with him. But after forty days without a fish the boy's parents had told him that the old man was now definitely and finally salao, which is the worst form of unlucky, and the boy had gone at their orders in another boat which caught three good fish the first week. It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his skiff empty and he always went down to help him carry either the coiled lines or the gaff and harpoon and the sail that was furled around the mast. The sail was patched with flour sacks and, furled, it looked like the flag of permanent defeat.

Third person point of view objective narration sees the narrator not describing the feelings or thoughts of any characters but, rather, just the exact facts of the story.

The narrator tends to be very 'de-humanized' and detached from the story. This approach is often called "fly-on-the-wall" or "camera lens", since the narrator will describe events and actions but provide no explanation or character thoughts.

This type of viewpoint was popular in the 19th century with large, sweeping narratives. It is also occasionally called 'over the shoulder' narration. It sees the focus with one character and the narrator describing only the events perceived and information known by this character.

This approach is very similar to first-person, but produces a narrower and more claustrophobic version of the third person viewpoint.

Perhaps the most famous example of this type of third person viewpoint is Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway.

The hills across the valley of the Ebro' were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun. Close against the side of the station there was the warm shadow of the building and a curtain, made of strings of bamboo beads, hung across the open door into the bar, to keep out flies. The American and the girl with him sat at a table in the shade, outside the building. It was very hot and the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes. It stopped at this junction for two minutes and went on to Madrid. "What should we drink?" the girl asked. She had taken off her hat and put it on the table. "It's pretty hot," the man said.

Third person omniscient point of view is an approach that sees the narrator knowing everything that is happening within the story's world, including what each of the characters is thinking and feeling.

This viewpoint stance is very common and is used by some of the most famous writers, including Charles Dickens. It is the approach that works best when looking to produce complicated plots with deep, complex characters. One major drawback is that it is impossible to create an unreliable narrator since the reader has access to events, thoughts, and feelings throughout the world.

Below is the opening to Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities , an example of third person omniscient point of view.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Third person limited point of view sees the narrator conveying the knowledge and subjective experience of just one character. In other words, the narrator is focussed on a single character and only knows this character.

This is a very common narrative approach and is, perhaps, the most common storytelling format for popular novels in the Twentieth Century. One of the most successful uses of First-person limited narration is J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.

The example below is taken from Jack London's To Build a Fire .

"Day had dawned cold and gray when the man turned aside from the main Yukon trail. He climbed the high earth-bank where a little-traveled trail led east through the pine for- est. It was a high bank, and he paused to breathe at the top. He excused the act to himself by looking at his watch. It was nine o'clock in the morning. There was no sun or promise of sun, although there was not a cloud in the sky. It was a clear day. However, there seemed to be an indescribable darkness over the face of things. That was because the sun was absent from the sky. This fact did not worry the man. He was not alarmed by the lack of sun. It had been days since he had seen the sun."

Third person point of view offers several advantages and disadvantages to writers that should be considered when choosing the narrative voice for their work. Understanding the benefits and drawbacks of this point of view can help writers make the best decision for their particular story. Here are some of the key advantages and disadvantages of third person point of view:

Advantages:

Multiple perspectives: Third person point of view allows for the narrative to switch between different characters' perspectives, giving the reader a more well-rounded understanding of the events and emotions of the story. This can be particularly useful for complex stories with multiple protagonists or for exploring different sides of a conflict.

Objectivity: Third person point of view creates a more neutral and objective tone, allowing the reader to form their own opinions and judgments about the events and characters in the story. This can be especially important in writing that deals with controversial or sensitive subjects.

Distance: Third person point of view can provide a sense of distance between the narrator and the events of the story, making it easier for the reader to step back and analyze what is happening without being overly emotionally invested. This can be useful for conveying a more detached or analytical perspective.

Disadvantages:

Limited emotional connection: One of the main drawbacks of third person point of view is that it can be more difficult for the reader to form an emotional connection with the characters and events in the story. This can result in a less immersive and impactful reading experience.

Conveying inner thoughts and feelings: Another challenge with third person point of view is conveying the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters. In order to do this, the writer must use indirect methods such as dialogue, actions, and descriptions, which can be less effective than showing the reader directly what the characters are thinking and feeling.

Limited intimacy: Third person point of view can also create a sense of distance between the reader and the story, making it harder for the reader to become fully immersed in the world of the story. This can limit the intimacy and emotional impact of the writing.

In conclusion, third person point of view can be a powerful tool for writers, but it is important to weigh the advantages and disadvantages carefully when making the decision to use it. Understanding the strengths and limitations of third person point of view can help writers make the best choice for their story and create the most effective narrative voice for their work.

For more information on the different types of third person point of view, you can refer to Wikipedia's article on third person point of view .

Understanding the distinctions between first, second, and third-person points of view is essential for writers aiming to choose the best narrative style for their story. This section provides a comparative view, highlighting how each POV uniquely shapes the narrative and influences the reader's experience.

The first-person POV offers a deep, personal insight into the narrator's mind, creating an intimate bond with the reader. The second-person POV , though less common, directly addresses the reader, often creating an immersive, interactive experience. The third-person POV , with its varying degrees of knowledge and objectivity, provides a more flexible and encompassing narrative tool. It allows writers to move seamlessly between the subjective experiences of characters and an objective, broader view of the story world.

Each POV has its strengths and is suited to different types of stories and narrative techniques. The choice depends on the story’s requirements and the experience the writer wishes to convey to the reader.

Below are some frequently asked questions that will provide you more information.

What is an example of a third person point of view?

In third-person point of view, the most common choice for writers, the narrator refers to all characters with third-person pronouns like 'he', 'she', or 'they'.. In other words, the narrator is not a character in a story and is a separate entity. For example, 'Jason used his pocket money to buy himself comic books.'

What is 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person examples?

First person uses the pronouns: I, me, my, mine, myself, we, our, ours, ourselves. Second person uses: You, your, yours, yourself. Third person uses: She, her, hers, herself, he, him, his, himself, they, them, themselves, their, theirs.

What are the 3 types of third person point of view?

  • Third-person omniscient point of view.
  • Third-person limited omniscient.
  • Third-person objective.

These are all outlined in this article.

What is third person point of view in writing?

Third person point of view in writing refers to the narrator describing the events and characters in the story using third-person pronouns such as "he", "she", and "they".

What are the different types of third person point of view?

There are three types of third person point of view: third person limited, third person omniscient, and third person objective.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using third person point of view in writing?

Advantages of third person point of view in writing include the ability to easily switch between different characters' perspectives, and creating a more neutral and objective tone. Disadvantages include limited emotional connection with the reader and difficulty conveying the inner thoughts and feelings of characters.

The majority of mainstream novels published are written in third person. The chances are that if you have never considered viewpoint when writing your novel, then you are writing in third person point of view.

The biggest choice faced by many writers will be what type of third person point of view to adopt. Here, the most common choice is third-person limited, with a focus on a single character.

Perhaps the most important factor in deciding which narrative viewpoint to adopt is the type of story you are trying to tell. Stories with wide, overarching, and epic storylines tend to suit third person omniscient point of view. However, closer, more personal stories may well be better suited to third-person limited.

Third person point of view is not the only kid on the block. You might also consider writing from first person point of view. This is when the narrator and character are the same person The main advantage of first person point of view is that you are able tell a story in a way that allows the reader to connect fully with the main character. The main disadvantage of first person point of view is that it can sometimes be difficult to pass information to the reader if the main character is unaware of that information. You can read this article to find out more about first person point of view.

If you are looking for professional feedback on your novel, we can provide affordable book editing . Alternatively, our mentoring service allows you to work one-on-one with a professional editor.

Further Reading

  • What Is 1st Person 2nd Person 3rd Person With Examples
  • What Are The Three Points Of View?
  • What Is The Point Of View?
  • Mastering The Second Person Viewpoint: A Comprehensive Guide To Engaging Your Readers
  • Mastering Point Of View In Writing: A Comprehensive Guide
  • First Person Point Of View A Comprehensive Overview For Writers [Including Examples]

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Essay writing: first-person and third-person points of view, introduction.

People approach essay writing in so many different ways. Some spend a long time worrying about how to set about writing an informative piece, which will educate, or even entertain, the readers. But it is not just the content that's the issue; it is also the way the content is - or ought to be - written. More may have asked the question: what should I use, the first-person point of view (POV) or the third-person?

Choosing between the two has confused more than a few essay-writing people. Sure, it can be easy to fill the piece up with healthy chunks of information and content, but it takes a deeper understanding of both points of view to be able to avoid slipping in and out one or the other - or at least realize it when it happens. Sure, a Jekyll and Hyde way of writing may be clever, but it can be very confusing in non-fiction forms, like the essay.

Why is all this important?

Continually swapping from the first-person to the third-person POV may leave the reader confused. Who exactly is talking here? Why does one part of the essay sound so detached and unaffected, while the next suddenly appears to be intimate and personal?

Indeed, making the mistake of using both points of view - without realizing it - leaves readers with the impression of the essay being haphazardly written.

Using first-person: advantages and disadvantages

The use of the first-person narration in an essay means that the author is writing exclusively from his or her point of view - no one else's. The story or the information will thus be told from the perspective of "I," and "We," with words like "me," "us," "my," "mine," "our," and "ours" often found throughout the essay.

Example: "I first heard about this coastal island two years ago, when the newspapers reported the worst oil spill in recent history. To me, the story had the impact of a footnote - evidence of my urban snobbishness. Luckily, the mess of that has since been cleaned up; its last ugly ripple has ebbed."

You will see from the above example that the writer, while not exactly talking about himself or herself, uses the first-person point of view to share information about a certain coastal island, and a certain oil spill. The decision to do so enables the essay to have a more personal, subjective, and even intimate tone of voice; it also allows the author to refer to events, experiences, and people while giving (or withholding) information as he or she pleases.

The first-person view also provides an opportunity to convey the viewpoint character or author's personal thoughts, emotions, opinion, feelings, judgments, understandings, and other internal information (or information that only the author possesses) - as in "the story had the impact of a footnote". This then allows readers to be part of the narrator's world and identify with the viewpoint character.

This is why the first-person point of view is a natural choice for memoirs, autobiographical pieces, personal experience essays, and other forms of non-fiction in which the author serves also as a character in the story.

The first-person POV does have certain limitations. First and most obvious is the fact that the author is limited to a single point of view, which can be narrow, restrictive, and awkward. Less careful or inexperienced writers using first-person may also fall to the temptation of making themselves the focal subject - even the sole subject - of the essay, even in cases that demand focus and information on other subjects, characters, or events.

Using third-person: advantages and disadvantages

The third-person point of view, meanwhile, is another flexible narrative device used in essays and other forms of non-fiction wherein the author is not a character within the story, serving only as an unspecified, uninvolved, and unnamed narrator conveying information throughout the essay. In third-person writing, people and characters are referred to as "he," "she," "it," and "they"; "I" and "we" are never used (unless, of course, in a direct quote).

Example: "Local residents of the coastal island province suffered an ecological disaster in 2006, in the form of an oil spill that was reported by national newspapers to be worst in the country's history. Cleaning up took two years, after which they were finally able to go back to advertising their island's beach sands as 'pure' and its soil, 'fertile.'"

Obviously, the use of the third-person point of view here makes the essay sound more factual - and not just a personal collection of the author's own ideas, opinions, and thoughts. It also lends the piece a more professional and less casual tone. Moreover, writing in third-person can help establish the greatest possible distance between reader and author - and the kind of distance necessary to present the essay's rhetorical situations.

The essay being non-fiction, it is important to keep in mind that the primary purpose of the form is to convey information about a particular subject to the reader. The reader has the right to believe that the essay is factually correct, or is at least given context by factual events, people, and places.

The third-person point of view is more common in reports, research papers, critiques, biography, history, and traditional journalistic essays. This again relates to the fact that the author can, with the third-person POV, create a formal distance, a kind of objectivity, appropriate in putting up arguments or presenting a case.

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Point of View: It's Personal

What to Know The point of view of a story determines who is telling it and the narrator's relationship to the characters in the story. In first person point of view the narrator is a character in the story telling it from their perspective. In third person point of view the narrator is not part of the story and the characters never acknowledge the narrator's presence. Less common than first and third is second person point of view. In second person point of view the reader is part of the story. The narrator describes the reader's actions, thoughts, and background using "you."

public-binoculars

It's all about how you look at it.

When you tell a story, an important thing to choose is the point of view that the story should take. Point of view determines who tells the story, as well as the relationship that the narrator has to the characters in the story. A story can have a much different feel depending on who is doing the telling.

The main points of view are first person and third person, with second person appearing less frequently but still common enough that it gets studied in writing classes. These are also the terms used to distinguish the personal pronouns. The pronouns I and we are first-person pronouns; they refer to the self. The pronoun you , used for both singular and plural antecedents, is the second-person pronoun, the person who is being addressed. The third person pronouns— he , she , it , they —refer to someone or something being referred to apart from the speaker or the person being addressed. Narratives are often identified as first, second, or third person based on the kinds of pronouns they utilize.

First Person Point of View

In first-person narration, the narrator is a person in the story, telling the story from their own point of view. The narration usually utilizes the pronoun I (or we , if the narrator is speaking as part of a group). The character who tells the story might be in the middle of the action or more of a character who observes the action from the outer limits, but in either case you are getting that character’s recounting of what happens.

It also means that impressions and descriptions are colored by that character’s opinions, mood, past experiences, or even their warped perceptions of what they see and hear.

There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further outdoor exercise was now out of the question. I was glad of it: I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped fingers and toes, and a heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie, the nurse, and humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed. — Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre , 1847

In Jane Eyre , the narration is provided by the story’s title character, a governess. The information shared comes from her memories and impressions—of the weather, her knowledge of Mrs. Reed’s dining habits, and her dread at receiving a lecture from Nurse Bessie. We are likewise shielded from information that Jane doesn’t know.

Many classic works of fiction feature characters made memorable by their first-person voices: The Catcher in the Rye (Holden Caulfield), The Handmaid's Tale (Offred), or To Kill a Mockingbird (Scout Finch). In some stories, such as in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby , the first person narrator (Nick Carraway) is an observer of the character around whom the story is centered (Jay Gatsby).

Second Person

Second-person narration is a little-used technique of narrative in which the action is driven by a character ascribed to the reader, one known as you . The reader is immersed into the narrative as a character involved in the story. The narrator describes what "you" do and lets you into your own thoughts and background. The most well-known piece of fiction that employs second-person narration might be Jay McInerney’s novel Bright Lights, Big City .

At the subway station you wait fifteen minutes on the platform for a train. Finally a local, enervated by graffiti, shuffles into the station. You get a seat and hoist a copy of the New York Post. The Post is the most shameful of your several addictions. — Jay McInerney, Bright Lights, Big City , 1984

You will also find second-person narration used in the "Choose Your Own Adventure" style of books popular with younger readers, in which readers determine where the story goes by which page they turn to next. Allowing the reader to "be" the central character in the story provides an immersive reading experience, enhancing what is at stake for the character and reader.

Third Person Point of View

In third-person narration, the narrator exists outside the events of the story, and relates the actions of the characters by referring to their names or by the third-person pronouns he, she, or they.

Third-person narration can be further classified into several types: omniscient, limited, and objective.

Third Person Omniscient

Omniscient means "all-knowing," and likewise an omniscient narrator knows every character’s thoughts, feelings, and motivations even if that character doesn’t reveal any of those things to the other characters.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott serves as a good example of third-person omniscient narration:

"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug. "It's so dreadful to be poor!" sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress. "I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all," added little Amy, with an injured sniff. "We've got Father and Mother, and each other," said Beth contentedly from her corner. The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but darkened again as Jo said sadly, "We haven't got Father, and shall not have him for a long time." She didn't say "perhaps never," but each silently added it, thinking of Father far away, where the fighting was. — Louisa May Alcott, Little Women , 1868

The story is not told from the point of view of Meg, Jo, Beth, or Amy, but from someone who is observing the four sisters as they talk to one another. Each character is therefore referred to by their names or the third-person pronoun she . The narrator does not exist as a character in the story, and the girls do not acknowledge the narrator’s presence.

However, the narrator is omniscient, which means that they know what the characters are thinking. This is demonstrated in the last line of the excerpt, when the girls silently ponder the thought of their father never returning from the war.

Third Person Limited

In third-person limited narration, the narrator still exists outside the events of the story, but does not know the motivations or thoughts of all the characters. Rather, one character is the driver of the story, and the reader is given a closer peek into that character’s psyche than the others.

J. K. Rowling utilizes third-person limited narration in the Harry Potter novels. Even though the narrator is not Harry, and Harry is referred to as 'he,' the reader is allowed into Harry's thoughts—what he is wondering without saying out loud. We are also, like Harry, left uncertain about what other characters are thinking:

Three days later, the Dursleys were showing no sign of relenting, and Harry couldn't see any way out of his situation. He lay on his bed watching the sun sinking behind the bars on the window and wondered miserably what was going to happen to him. What was the good of magicking himself out of his room if Hogwarts would expel him for doing it? Yet life at Privet Drive had reached an all-time low. Now that the Dursleys knew they weren't going to wake up as fruit bats, he had lost his only weapon. Dobby might have saved Harry from horrible happenings at Hogwarts, but the way things were going, he'd probably starve to death anyway. — J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , 1999

Third-Person Objective

In third-person objective narration, the narrator reports the events that take place without knowing the motivations or thoughts of any of the characters. We know little about what drives them until we hear them speak or observe their actions. The resulting tone is often matter-of-fact, not colored by any opinions or commentary, nor of knowledge of what takes place outside the scene.

The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o'clock; in some towns there were so many people that the lottery took two days and had to be started on June 25th. But in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o'clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner. — Shirley Jackson, "The Lottery," 1948

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We Vs. They: Using the First & Third Person in Research Papers

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Writing in the first , second , or third person is referred to as the author’s point of view . When we write, our tendency is to personalize the text by writing in the first person . That is, we use pronouns such as “I” and “we”. This is acceptable when writing personal information, a journal, or a book. However, it is not common in academic writing.

Some writers find the use of first , second , or third person point of view a bit confusing while writing research papers. Since second person is avoided while writing in academic or scientific papers, the main confusion remains within first or third person.

In the following sections, we will discuss the usage and examples of the first , second , and third person point of view.

First Person Pronouns

The first person point of view simply means that we use the pronouns that refer to ourselves in the text. These are as follows:

Can we use I or We In the Scientific Paper?

Using these, we present the information based on what “we” found. In science and mathematics, this point of view is rarely used. It is often considered to be somewhat self-serving and arrogant . It is important to remember that when writing your research results, the focus of the communication is the research and not the persons who conducted the research. When you want to persuade the reader, it is best to avoid personal pronouns in academic writing even when it is personal opinion from the authors of the study. In addition to sounding somewhat arrogant, the strength of your findings might be underestimated.

For example:

Based on my results, I concluded that A and B did not equal to C.

In this example, the entire meaning of the research could be misconstrued. The results discussed are not those of the author ; they are generated from the experiment. To refer to the results in this context is incorrect and should be avoided. To make it more appropriate, the above sentence can be revised as follows:

Based on the results of the assay, A and B did not equal to C.

Second Person Pronouns

The second person point of view uses pronouns that refer to the reader. These are as follows:

This point of view is usually used in the context of providing instructions or advice , such as in “how to” manuals or recipe books. The reason behind using the second person is to engage the reader.

You will want to buy a turkey that is large enough to feed your extended family. Before cooking it, you must wash it first thoroughly with cold water.

Although this is a good technique for giving instructions, it is not appropriate in academic or scientific writing.

Third Person Pronouns

The third person point of view uses both proper nouns, such as a person’s name, and pronouns that refer to individuals or groups (e.g., doctors, researchers) but not directly to the reader. The ones that refer to individuals are as follows:

  • Hers (possessive form)
  • His (possessive form)
  • Its (possessive form)
  • One’s (possessive form)

The third person point of view that refers to groups include the following:

  • Their (possessive form)
  • Theirs (plural possessive form)
Everyone at the convention was interested in what Dr. Johnson presented. The instructors decided that the students should help pay for lab supplies. The researchers determined that there was not enough sample material to conduct the assay.

The third person point of view is generally used in scientific papers but, at times, the format can be difficult. We use indefinite pronouns to refer back to the subject but must avoid using masculine or feminine terminology. For example:

A researcher must ensure that he has enough material for his experiment. The nurse must ensure that she has a large enough blood sample for her assay.

Many authors attempt to resolve this issue by using “he or she” or “him or her,” but this gets cumbersome and too many of these can distract the reader. For example:

A researcher must ensure that he or she has enough material for his or her experiment. The nurse must ensure that he or she has a large enough blood sample for his or her assay.

These issues can easily be resolved by making the subjects plural as follows:

Researchers must ensure that they have enough material for their experiment. Nurses must ensure that they have large enough blood samples for their assay.

Exceptions to the Rules

As mentioned earlier, the third person is generally used in scientific writing, but the rules are not quite as stringent anymore. It is now acceptable to use both the first and third person pronouns  in some contexts, but this is still under controversy.  

In a February 2011 blog on Eloquent Science , Professor David M. Schultz presented several opinions on whether the author viewpoints differed. However, there appeared to be no consensus. Some believed that the old rules should stand to avoid subjectivity, while others believed that if the facts were valid, it didn’t matter which point of view was used.

First or Third Person: What Do The Journals Say

In general, it is acceptable in to use the first person point of view in abstracts, introductions, discussions, and conclusions, in some journals. Even then, avoid using “I” in these sections. Instead, use “we” to refer to the group of researchers that were part of the study. The third person point of view is used for writing methods and results sections. Consistency is the key and switching from one point of view to another within sections of a manuscript can be distracting and is discouraged. It is best to always check your author guidelines for that particular journal. Once that is done, make sure your manuscript is free from the above-mentioned or any other grammatical error.

You are the only researcher involved in your thesis project. You want to avoid using the first person point of view throughout, but there are no other researchers on the project so the pronoun “we” would not be appropriate. What do you do and why? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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I am writing the history of an engineering company for which I worked. How do I relate a significant incident that involved me?

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Hi Roger, Thank you for your question. If you are narrating the history for the company that you worked at, you would have to refer to it from an employee’s perspective (third person). If you are writing the history as an account of your experiences with the company (including the significant incident), you could refer to yourself as ”I” or ”My.” (first person) You could go through other articles related to language and grammar on Enago Academy’s website https://enago.com/academy/ to help you with your document drafting. Did you get a chance to install our free Mobile App? https://www.enago.com/academy/mobile-app/ . Make sure you subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://www.enago.com/academy/subscribe-now/ .

Good day , i am writing a research paper and m y setting is a company . is it ethical to put the name of the company in the research paper . i the management has allowed me to conduct my research in thir company .

thanks docarlene diaz

Generally authors do not mention the names of the organization separately within the research paper. The name of the educational institution the researcher or the PhD student is working in needs to be mentioned along with the name in the list of authors. However, if the research has been carried out in a company, it might not be mandatory to mention the name after the name in the list of authors. You can check with the author guidelines of your target journal and if needed confirm with the editor of the journal. Also check with the mangement of the company whether they want the name of the company to be mentioned in the research paper.

Finishing up my dissertation the information is clear and concise.

How to write the right first person pronoun if there is a single researcher? Thanks

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Point of View in Academic Writing

Point of view is the perspective from which an essay is written. The following chart lists both the personal pronouns and their possessive forms used with these points of view:

When choosing appropriate point of view for academic or formal writing, consider the type and purpose of the assignment.

First Person

First-person point of view is used to write stories/narratives or examples about personal experiences from your own life. Note the following paragraph:

Several people have made a lasting impression on me . I remember one person in particular who was significant to me . Dr. Smith, my high school English teacher, helped my family and me through a difficult time during my junior year. We appreciated her care, kindness, and financial help after the loss of our home in a devastating fire.

Note : Academic writing often requires us to avoid first-person point of view in favor of third-person point of view, which can be more objective and convincing. Often, students will say, “ I think the author is very convincing.” Taking out I makes a stronger statement or claim: “The author is very convincing.”

Second Person

Second-person point of view, which directly addresses the reader, works well for giving advice or explaining how to do something. A process analysis paper would be a good choice for using the second-person point of view, as shown in this paragraph:

In order to prepare microwave popcorn, you will need a microwave and a box of microwave popcorn which you’ve purchased at a grocery store. First of all, you need to remove the popcorn package from the box and take off the plastic wrap. Next, open your microwave and place the package in the center with the proper side up. Then set your microwave for the suggested number of minutes as stated on the box. Finally, when the popcorn is popped, you’re ready for a great treat.

Note : Academic writing generally avoids second-person point of view in favor of third-person point of view. Second person can be too casual for formal writing, and it can also alienate the reader if the reader does not identify with the idea.

Replacing You

In academic writing, sometimes "you" needs to be replaced with nouns or proper nouns to create more formality or to clarify the idea. Here are some examples:

Third Person

Third-person point of view identifies people by proper noun (a given name such as Shema Ahemed) or noun (such as teachers, students, players, or doctors ) and uses the pronouns they, she, and he . Third person also includes the use of one, everyone, and anyone. Most formal, academic writing uses the third person. Note the use of various third-person nouns and pronouns in the following:

The bosses at the company have decided that employees need a day of in-house training. Times have been scheduled for everyone . Several senior employees will be required to make five-minute presentations. One is not eager to speak in front of others since he’s very shy. Another one , however, is anxious to relate their expertise. The variation in routine should provide an interesting day for all people concerned.

Third Person Pronouns: Gender-Fair Use of Language and Singular “They”

In the past, if you wanted to refer to one unnamed person, you used the masculine pronoun: If a person is strong, he will stand up for himself . Today, you should avoid the automatic use of the masculine pronoun because it is considered sexist language.

Also avoid perpetuating gender stereotypes by assigning a particular gendered pronoun: A doctor should listen to his patients. A nurse should listen to her patients . These examples make assumptions that doctors are men and nurses are women, which is a sexist stereotype.

Instead, use the pronouns they or them to refer to a person whose gender is undisclosed or irrelevant to the context of the usage: If a person is strong, they will stand up for themselves when they believe in something.

What is the Third Person Point of View Definition and Examples Featured

  • Scriptwriting

What is the Third Person Point of View – Definition and Examples

W hat is third person point of view? Perhaps she knows; or he knows; or they know. The third person point of view is used to keep distance between the writer and reader. As a result, characters serve as a buffer so that the focus remains on the narrative. We’re going to break down the third person point of view, or third person POV, with examples from The Lord of the Rings and Uncharted , but first, let’s review some grammar details.

3rd Person Point of View Explained

A grammar guide to third person writing.

The third person point of view uses he, she, they, descriptors, or names to communicate perspective. Let’s look at some examples:

  • He was a great student.
  • She succeeded in every way.
  • They worked tirelessly to finish the project on time.
  • The man with the funny hat sneered at those who passed by.
  • Stella played the violin with maestro-like skill.

This next video does a great job of explaining the grammatical rules used to define third person point of view:

What is Third Person Point of View?  •  All About Third Person Writing by Diane Callahan

Now that we’ve reviewed some grammar guidelines, let’s dive into a third person point of view definition!

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW DEFINITION

What is third person point of view.

A third person point of view is a narrative perspective in which the writer doesn’t directly refer to themself as the narrator, nor you as the reader. The third person POV is arguably the most popular storytelling perspective. In video games and movies, the third person POV refers to a perspective in which the camera is locked onto a character, either behind them or overhead. 

Characteristics of Third Person POV

  • Creates distance between writer and reader
  • Used often by writers
  • Can also refer to a locked camera perspective

Third Person Examples

Third person point of view in writing.

There are two types of third person point of view in writing: third person limited point of view and third person omniscient point of view. Let’s break down third person limited point of view vs. third person omniscient point of view in detail:

Third person limited point of view : The perspective is limited to the view of one or more character.

Third person omniscient point of view : The perspective is shown from “above,” through an “all-knowing” entity.

This next video explains some of the intricacies of using the third person omniscient point of view.

3rd Person Point of View  •  How to Use Third Person Omniscient by Reedsy

Although “omniscient” and “limited” are both third person points of view, they’re very different. For example, the third person limited point of view works much better than the third person omniscient point of view in mystery novels. Imagine an Agatha Christie novel in which the narrator already knows who “committed the crime” — it just wouldn’t work well.

Take this excerpt from Murder on the Orient Express for example:

Murder on the Orient Express

'It is a good phrase that,' said Poirot. 'The impossible cannot have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.'

Poirot is our protagonist ; and he is a brilliant detective, but he doesn’t know everything. Christie keeps us on the edge of our seat by concealing essential information in dialogue. 

Conversely, third person omniscient works much better for world-building novels like The Lord of the Rings . Let’s take a look at an excerpt from The Fellowship of the Ring to see how it’s done: 

The Fellowship of the Ring

“Bilbo was very rich and very peculiar, and had been the wonder of the Shire for sixty years, ever since his remarkable disappearance and unexpected return. The riches he had brought back from his travels had now become a local legend, and it was popularly believed, whatever the old folk might say, that the Hill at Bag End was full of tunnels stuffed with treasure. And if that was not enough for fame, there was also his prolonged vigour to marvel at. Time wore on, but it seemed to have little effect on Mr. Baggins. At ninety he was much the same as at fifty. At ninety-nine they began to call him well-preserved; but unchanged would have been nearer the mark. There were some that shook their heads and thought this was too much of a good thing; it seemed unfair that anyone should possess (apparently) perpetual youth as well as (reputedly) inexhaustible wealth.”

Tolkien delivers an incredible amount of exposition in this opening passage. Think about all that we learn about Bilbo: 

  • He’s incredibly wealthy
  • He lives in Bag End in the Shire
  • He made a fortune on some mysterious adventure
  • He doesn’t seem to age

We’re able to learn all of this information so quickly because of the use of the third person omniscient POV. This opening mystifies us as the reader, and sets up the perfect opportunity for flashbacks .

When there’s so much backstory to relay, like there is in Tolkien’s world, we don’t really want to doubt whether or not the narrator knows what they’re talking about. Don’t forget that the third person omniscient point of view is also a great perspective for using dramatic irony .

What is Third Person Point of View in Video Games?

Third person pov in video games.

The third person point of view can also refer to a fixed camera angle , used most commonly in video games. Perhaps the most acclaimed third person video game series is Uncharted , from developer Naughty Dog.

If you’re unfamiliar with the fixed “ over the shoulder ” camera perspective, check out the video below.

3rd Person Point of View in Video Games  •  Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Trailer

The purpose of the third person POV in video games is similar to its purpose in writing — to create a buffer between us, the reader/player, and the character we’re controlling/following. Usually, third person games use a limited POV. In Uncharted , we control treasure hunter Nathan Drake, privy almost exclusively to his thoughts and actions.

But sometimes, games tell or foreshadow what our character is going to walk into. One could argue that this gives us an omniscient third person point of view of the game-world.

The “over the shoulder” angle used in Uncharted isn’t the only third person perspective used in video games though. In addition, many games use the “overhead” or isometric angle, like the recently acclaimed Disco Elysium did:

Third Person Point of View Examples  •  Disco Elysium Trailer

Disco Elysium combines a top-down (isometric) perspective with a limited omniscient narrator. The result is a graphically beautiful game that allows you to explore perspective and perception in new and insightful ways.

Dive deeper into point of view

We covered how the third person POV is used in writing and gaming, but what about the first and second person? Don’t worry, we have you covered on those categories as well, with blog posts that go into similar detail on how each perspective is used by writers, designers, and filmmakers to expert effect.

Up Next: Types of Point of View →

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You forgot third person subjective.

Very informative and interesting helpful what I needed to continue writing my synopsis

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  • Third-Person Pronouns | List, Examples & Explanation

Third-Person Pronouns | List, Examples & Explanation

Published on December 1, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on February 24, 2023.

Third-Person Pronouns

Third-person pronouns are words such as “she,” “it,” and “they” that are used to refer to other people and things that are not being directly addressed, without naming them specifically with a noun . Like first- and second-person pronouns , they are a type of personal pronoun .

There are quite a lot of third-person pronouns, since they differ based on the gender (or lack thereof) and number of who or what is being referred to. They also change based on whether they are used based on case: subject , object , possessive , or reflexive / intensive . The table below shows all the third-person pronouns.

Table of contents

Masculine singular pronouns (“he”), feminine singular pronouns (“she”), neuter singular pronouns (“it”), third-person plural pronouns (“they”), the singular “they”, frequently asked questions.

The masculine singular pronouns are he , him , his , and himself . The masculine singular possessive determiner (used to modify a noun instead of replacing it) is also his .

These words are used to refer to individual men and boys—and sometimes to male animals.

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The feminine singular pronouns are she , her , hers , and herself . The feminine singular possessive determiner is also her .

These words are used to refer to individual women and girls—and sometimes to female animals.

The neuter singular pronouns (also called inanimate singular pronouns) are it (used in both the subject and object position), its , and itself . The neuter singular possessive determiner is also its .

These words refer to something other than a person: a concept, object, place, or animal (although gendered pronouns are sometimes used instead for animals). It’s considered very rude to refer to a person as “it”; to refer to someone without specifying gender, use the singular “they” instead.

The third-person plural pronouns are they , them , theirs , and themselves . The third-person plural possessive determiner is their .

These words are used to refer to more than one of anything: people, things, concepts, places, animals, and so on. No distinction is made between people and things or between male and female in this case; the plural pronouns are always the same.

The third-person plural pronouns and possessive determiner— they , them , theirs , themselves , and their —are now commonly used as gender-neutral singular pronouns (also called epicene pronouns) to refer to people. This usage is often called the singular “they.”

The singular “they” has existed for a long time, but it was typically viewed as an error in the past. However, most style guides now endorse it, recognizing the need for a way to refer to individuals in a gender-neutral way.

These words are used (instead of “he or she”) when referring to a generic individual whose gender is unspecified or to an individual who identifies as neither male nor female.

In grammar, person is how we distinguish between the speaker or writer (first person), the person being addressed (second person), and any other people, objects, ideas, etc. referred to (third person).

Person is expressed through the different personal pronouns , such as “I” ( first-person pronoun ), “you” ( second-person pronoun ), and “they” (third-person pronoun). It also affects how verbs are conjugated, due to subject-verb agreement (e.g., “I am” vs. “you are”).

In fiction, a first-person narrative is one written directly from the perspective of the protagonist . A third-person narrative describes the protagonist from the perspective of a separate narrator. A second-person narrative (very rare) addresses the reader as if they were the protagonist.

The term preferred pronouns is used to mean the (third-person) personal pronouns a person identifies with and would like to be referred to by. People usually state the subject and object pronoun (e.g., “she/her”) but may also include the possessive (e.g., “she/her/hers”).

Most people go by the masculine “he/him,” the feminine “she/her,” the gender-neutral singular “they/them,” or some combination of these. There are also neopronouns used to express nonbinary gender identity, such as “xe/xem.” These are less common than the singular “they.”

The practice of stating one’s preferred pronouns (e.g., in a professional context or on a social media profile) is meant to promote inclusion for transgender and gender-nonconforming people. The first- and second-person pronouns (“I” and “you”) are not included, since they’re the same for everyone.

In most contexts, you should use first-person pronouns (e.g., “I,” “me”) to refer to yourself. In some academic writing, the use of the first person is discouraged, and writers are advised to instead refer to themselves in the third person (e.g., as “the researcher”).

This convention is mainly restricted to the sciences, where it’s used to maintain an objective, impersonal tone. But many style guides (such as APA Style ) now advise you to simply use the first person, arguing that this style of writing is misleading and unnatural.

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

Caulfield, J. (2023, February 24). Third-Person Pronouns | List, Examples & Explanation. Scribbr. Retrieved February 20, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/nouns-and-pronouns/third-person-pronouns/
Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.
Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Garner, B. A. (2016). Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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How do you write an essay in third person?

third person view essay

By putting it in third person, you are able to list sources, and you are encouraged to do so. That's why you're asked to write essays in third person.

This is the way your sentence should be:

School lunches are very bad because according to The New York Times , the 2012 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act causes children to not like how the food tastes, and so they do not eat it.

By writing in third-person, you are able to present evidence to your reader. So when you write in third person, show what you know, with evidence backing up your points.

It won't be as redundant as saying "I think/believe" or "I feel" when we know/hope you wrote the paper and you hopefully have sources to back up your claims.

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IMAGES

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COMMENTS

  1. Third-Person Writing: A Guide for Effective Academic Writing

    Third-person writing is a style of writing that involves using pronouns such as "he," "she," "it," "they," or "one" to refer to individuals or objects instead of using first- or second-person pronouns like "I," "me," "we," "us," "you," or "your."

  2. Writing in Third Person

    | Grammar The third-person narrative is often employed in narrative writing because it zooms in and out of character perspectives to describe actions, feelings, emotions, and thoughts. If you're unsure how to use the 3rd person perspective in writing, here are some tips and examples. What is Third Person Narrative?

  3. PDF Third-Person POV in Academic Writing

    Third-Person Point of View (POV) in Academic Writing What is third-person POV? In academic writing, the use of the third-person pronouns (he/she/it and they/them) neither refer to the writer or the person being addressed.

  4. 6 Ways to Write in Third Person

    1 Use third person for all academic writing. For formal writing, such as research and argumentative papers, use the third person. Third person makes writing more objective and less personal. For academic and professional writing, this sense of objectivity allows the writer to seem less biased and, therefore, more credible. [1]

  5. Third-Person Point of View

    When is third-person point of view used? Third person is used when a degree of objectivity is intended, and it is often used in academic documents, such as research and argument papers. This perspective directs the reader's attention to the subject being presented and discussed.

  6. What Is Third Person Point of View in Writing? How to Write in Third

    Writing What Is Third Person Point of View in Writing? How to Write in Third Person Narrative Voice With Examples Written by MasterClass Last updated: Sep 2, 2021 • 4 min read In literature, third-person point of view follows multiple characters and narrative arcs, zooming in and out of a story the way a camera does in a movie.

  7. Third Person Point of View: The 'He Said, She Said ...

    Third person point of view is narrative style in which the narrator refers to all characters using the pronouns he, she, or they. An example of a sentence written in third person would be: She sat in the café waiting for her food to arrive. "What is taking so long?" she thought.

  8. How to Write in Third Person Point of View

    How to Write in Third Person Point of View Sarah Oakley Romance Writer Whether you're going to write a short story, a novella, or a novel, one of the most important decisions you'll need to make is which point of view (POV) to use. Third person is the most popular POV for fiction writers to use.

  9. 8 Tips for Writing in Third-Person Point of View

    1. Third-person omniscient point of view: The omniscient narrator knows everything about the story and its characters. This narrator can enter any character's mind, move freely through time, and give the reader their own opinions and observations as well as those of the characters.

  10. How to write in third-person

    The third-person point of view is aimed at the person or people being talked about, which is the type of writing you'd find in stories. In this perspective, you'd use pronouns like he, she, him, her, his, hers, himself, herself, it, them, their, and themselves. Or, you'd use a name. But that tends to happen more in stories than research papers.

  11. How to Write in the Third Person

    September 12, 2020 Common Questions You may have heard someone talking about third person POV in an English class or on a writers' panel. What does it mean? POV stands for point of view, and any piece of prose writing has one. The point of view helps anchor the reader, and it makes the text easier to understand.

  12. Third Person Point Of View Explained (With Examples)

    In third person point of view the narrator refers to all characters with a third person pronouns such as 'he', 'she', or 'they'. In other words, the narrator is not a story's character but a separate entity. In this article, you'll learn about third person point of view.

  13. Essay Writing: First-Person and Third-Person Points of View

    The third-person point of view, meanwhile, is another flexible narrative device used in essays and other forms of non-fiction wherein the author is not a character within the story, serving only as an unspecified, uninvolved, and unnamed narrator conveying information throughout the essay.

  14. Why Third-Person Writing Is Critical to a Great Essay

    Using third-person writing can make a world of difference in giving your essay the right tone. Three Different Points of View If you're not sure what the different points of view are, I'll give you a run-down and some examples to help you see more clearly.

  15. Point of View: First, Second and Third Person Explained

    The third person pronouns— he, she, it, they —refer to someone or something being referred to apart from the speaker or the person being addressed. Narratives are often identified as first, second, or third person based on the kinds of pronouns they utilize. First Person Point of View

  16. We Vs. They: Using the First & Third Person in Research Papers

    Total: 1) Writing in the first, second, or third person is referred to as the author's point of view. When we write, our tendency is to personalize the text by writing in the first person. That is, we use pronouns such as "I" and "we". This is acceptable when writing personal information, a journal, or a book.

  17. Point of View in Academic Writing

    Third Person. Third-person point of view identifies people by proper noun (a given name such as Shema Ahemed) or noun (such as teachers, students, players, or doctors) and uses the pronouns they, she, and he.Third person also includes the use of one, everyone, and anyone. Most formal, academic writing uses the third person. Note the use of various third-person nouns and pronouns in the following:

  18. First vs. Third Person

    Third Person First and third person are points of view. They are the perspectives from which a piece of writing is told. Different writing assignments and types use different points of view. What is first-person perspective? First person is the point of view where the speaker refers to him or herself. I spent ten years working in public schools.

  19. What is the Third Person Point of View

    The third person point of view is used to keep distance between the writer and reader. As a result, characters serve as a buffer so that the focus remains on the narrative. We're going to break down the third person point of view, or third person POV, with examples from The Lord of the Rings and Uncharted, but first, let's review some ...

  20. What Is Third-Person Point of View in Writing? (With Examples)

    The third-person point of view gives you the perspective of the person being talked about in a written work. When a story or novel has a third-person perspective, for example, a narrator describes what's happening with the characters and what they're doing.

  21. Third-Person Pronouns

    Revised on February 24, 2023. Third-person pronouns are words such as "she," "it," and "they" that are used to refer to other people and things that are not being directly addressed, without naming them specifically with a noun. Like first- and second-person pronouns, they are a type of personal pronoun.

  22. How do you write an essay in third person? + Example

    Feb 13, 2016 Third person point of view is when you are writing with third person pronouns (he, she, one, etc.) Explanation: When you write an essay in third person, you do not refer to yourself in the essay, but instead use sources while writing. For example, this is not the way you write a sentence in your essay with third person:

  23. First Person to Third Person Converter (Free Tool)

    Conclusion. The "First to Third Person Converter" is a groundbreaking AI tool that opens up new possibilities for communication and writing. Its ability to effortlessly convert sentences between the first and third person perspectives provides writers with flexibility, consistency, and the opportunity to experiment with different styles.