Third-Person Point of View

In third person, a narrator outside the story uses he, she, and they.

In third-person point of view, the narrator is outside the story and refers to characters by name or as he, she, and they. There are two common kinds. In third-person limited, the narrator follows one character closely and shares only that character's thoughts: 'Sam hoped no one noticed his shaking hands.

' In third-person omniscient, the narrator knows everything, including the thoughts of many characters: 'Sam hoped no one noticed his shaking hands, but Ella saw them and decided to cheer him on. ' Here we learn what both Sam and Ella think. To tell them apart, ask: 'Whose thoughts do I get to read? ' If it's just one character's, it's limited.

If the narrator dips into several minds, it's omniscient, which means all-knowing.

• 1A third-person narrator is outside the story.
• 2Limited shares one character's thoughts.
• 3Omniscient shares many characters' thoughts.