Which description best defines third-person point of view in fiction?

Which description best defines third-person point of view in fiction?

• A. The narrator is inside the story and uses I or me.
• B. The narrator is outside the story and uses he/she/they.
• C. The events are told only through diary entries.
• D. The narrator speaks directly to the reader in second person.

Answer: (B)

Understanding who tells the story is what this question is testing. In third-person point of view, the narrator is outside the story and refers to characters with he, she, they. This lets the reader follow events from an outside perspective and can include what multiple characters think or feel, depending on whether the narrator is all-knowing or focuses on one character. That outside voice using he/she/they is the hallmark of third-person narration. This differs from first-person narration, where the story is told by a character inside the story using I or me. A diary-style format usually uses a first-person voice as well, since it’s written from one person’s personal perspective. Second-person narration speaks directly to the reader as you, which is another distinct style. So the description that says the narrator is outside the story and uses he/she/they best defines third-person point of view.

Understanding who tells the story is what this question is testing. In third-person point of view, the narrator is outside the story and refers to characters with he, she, they. This lets the reader follow events from an outside perspective and can include what multiple characters think or feel, depending on whether the narrator is all-knowing or focuses on one character. That outside voice using he/she/they is the hallmark of third-person narration.

This differs from first-person narration, where the story is told by a character inside the story using I or me. A diary-style format usually uses a first-person voice as well, since it’s written from one person’s personal perspective. Second-person narration speaks directly to the reader as you, which is another distinct style. So the description that says the narrator is outside the story and uses he/she/they best defines third-person point of view.