third person essay phrases

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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.

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How to Write in Third Person

Last Updated: March 27, 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 1,130,681 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

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

• 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.”

• 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.”

• 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.”

• 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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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

• 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.

• 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.”

• 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.”

• 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

• 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.

• 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.”

• 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.”

• 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

• 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.

• 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.”

• 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.”

• 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

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ 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

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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• Citation Styles

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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7 Essential Tips for Writing in the Third Person

Table of contents

Alana Chase

Whether you’re a student, business professional, or writer, knowing how to write well in the third person is an essential skill.

But you may not be sure of all the rules or how to make your third-person writing shine.

As an editor and writing coach of 11 years, I’ve taught students and writers at all levels how to master the third-person point of view (POV). All you need to get started is a good understanding of third-person pronouns and a bit of practice for consistency. 

By the end of this article, you’ll know when and how to use third-person perspective. You'll also find helpful tips for taking your third-person writing to the next level.

Key takeaways 

• In the third-person perspective, the narrator is separate from the story. 
• Third-person perspective uses he/him/his, she/her/hers, and they/them/their pronouns. 
• Consistency is key: Don’t switch between perspectives in a single document.
• Practicing third-person writing and editing your work is vital to improving your skills.

What is third-person point of view (POV)?

In writing, there are three ways to tell a story: first-person, second-person, or third-person POV. 

First-person POV is from the narrator’s perspective: 

“ I saw the bird steal my sandwich, and I ran after it.”

Second-person POV is from the reader’s perspective: 

“ You saw the bird steal your sandwich, and you ran after it.”

Third-person POV, however, separates the narrator from the story and uses third-person pronouns (like he/him, she/her, and they/them) to describe events, actions, thoughts, and emotions. Characters are referred to by name or one of these pronouns: 

“ Alex saw the bird steal his/her/their sandwich, and he/she/they ran after it.”

Third-person POV is used in all kinds of writing — from novels to research papers, journalistic articles, copywriting materials, and more. Check out some examples below.

Examples of third-person perspective

• In a novel: “Robb and Jon sat tall and still on their horses, with Bran between them on his pony, trying to seem older than seven, trying to pretend that he’d seen all this before.” (From A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin)
• In a news article : “This weekend, Iceland experienced nearly 2,000 earthquakes within 48 hours. And they’ve kept coming since then – in swarms.” (From “Thousands of earthquakes have scientists watching for a volcanic eruption in Iceland” on NPR’s website )
• In copywriting : “Balm Dotcom’s formula has antioxidants and natural emollients to nourish dry lips.” (Website copy describing Glossier’s Balm Dotcom lip product )

7 tips for writing in the third person

Just like the first and second person, you’ve probably already written in the third person before. But to do it well , you’ll need some key tips and tricks in your writing toolkit. 

Let’s dive into the seven essentials for third-person writing.

Tip 1: Use third-person determiners and pronouns 

In grammar, determiners introduce and modify nouns. They’re used to specify what a noun refers to (like “ my laptop”) or the quantity of it (like “ many sandwiches”). 

Meanwhile, pronouns are substitutes for nouns, referring to people, places, or things. For example, “Caroline [noun] is a skilled musician, and she [pronoun] especially loves playing the piano.”

When you write in the third person, use only third-person determiners and pronouns. Let’s take a look at the different types of pronouns. 

Tip 2: Use names for clarity

In third-person writing, using names is crucial for clarity, especially when multiple people/characters share similar pronouns. Strategically incorporate names into your writing to help readers keep track of who’s who. 

For example:

‍ “She submitted the script draft to her, and she made suggestions for changes.”

‍ “Mira submitted the script draft to Lynn, and Lynn made suggestions for changes.”

Tip: Use a character or person’s name when introducing them in your writing. Then, alternate between using pronouns and their name to prevent confusion.

Tip 3: Keep the narration neutral

When you write in the third person, your narrator is an uninvolved observer. They have no opinions on the people, places, things, or events they describe. Their words and tone should be neutral (but not boring).

To achieve this in your writing:

• Think of your narrator as a reporter. Their job is to detail what’s happening, when and why it’s occurring, who’s involved, and any background information that can give context. They don’t offer a personal interpretation of events. Instead, they provide facts and supporting details.
• Save the judgment for characters. Rather than having your narrator share their critique of events or individuals, have a character offer their opinion — either through dialogue, actions, or reactions. For instance, instead of writing, “Dr. Shaw was a courageous woman,” let a character convey admiration by telling Dr. Shaw, “I’ve always admired your fearlessness.”
• Be objective with your descriptions. Avoid subjective adjectives and focus on observable features. For example, instead of describing a landscape as “breathtaking,” write that it’s “marked with snow-capped mountains and patches of tall pine trees.” 

Tip 4: Use descriptive language

Showing — and not just telling — is essential when writing in the third person. Instead of stating emotions and experiences outright, immerse your reader in your character’s reality. Create vivid descriptions of their thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. Use language that engages the senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. 

For example: 

“Aisha was nervous.”

‍ “Aisha’s hands trembled, and her tongue felt dry against the roof of her mouth. The spotlight above the stage shone white-hot, causing beads of sweat to form along Aisha’s hairline.”

Tip 5: Be consistent

Once you establish a third-person POV, stick to it . Avoid switching from the third person to the first or second person. Otherwise, you’ll confuse the reader and disrupt the flow of your writing.

“Hannah felt a surge of excitement when her telephone rang, anticipating good news about her mortgage application. I felt my heart rate quicken as I answered.” (Switches from the third person to the first person)

“Hannah felt a surge of excitement when her telephone rang, anticipating good news about her mortgage application. She felt her heart rate quicken as she answered.” (Remains in the third person)

Tip 6: Practice

Writing in the third person might feel strange at first, especially if you’re used to using the first or second person. However, it’ll come more naturally to you with practice.

Here are two writing exercises you can try right now:

Writing Exercise #1

Take an excerpt from an article or book written in the first or second person and rewrite it in the third person. Below is an example using The Catcher in the Rye , whose main character is named Holden.

Before: “The other reason I wasn’t down at the game was because I was on my way to say good-by to old Spencer, my history teacher.”

After: “The other reason Holden wasn’t down at the game was because he was on his way to say good-by to old Spencer, his history teacher.”

Writing Exercise #2

Turn on a movie or television show, mute the sound, and closely observe two characters. Give them each a name. Using third-person pronouns and their names, describe the characters’ actions and what you believe they’re thinking and feeling. 

Above all, write in the third person as often as possible , following the tips in this guide. Remember, your writing skills are like muscles: The more you exercise them, the stronger they become. 

Tip 7: Carefully revise 

After you’ve written something in the third person, carefully review and revise your work. 

Check that your writing :

• Uses third-person determiners and pronouns accurately and consistently
• Incorporates names where pronouns may cause confusion
• Maintains a neutral tone, where your narrator doesn’t offer personal opinions or interpretations
• Doesn’t shift to the first or second person

Make changes where necessary, then read through your work a final time.

AI tip: Wordtune can help you self-edit and help improve your writing overall.

Paste your work into Wordtune’s Editor, or write in it directly, and use the features to shorten or expand your sentences, make your tone more casual or formal, and more. Wordtune will also automatically flag spelling and grammar errors and suggest ways to improve concision, clarity, and flow.

Get Wordtune for free > Get Wordtune for free >

Bonus tip (advanced): Learn the different types of third-person POV

Did you know there are three types of third-person POV? Getting familiar with them can help you make your writing even more impactful.

• Third-person objective , where the narrator is “a fly on the wall”: They provide an objective account of events without exploring people/characters’ emotions or thoughts.
• Third-person omniscient , where the narrator has unlimited knowledge of all events and characters’ thoughts and feelings. 
• Third-person limited , also called “close third,” where the narrator has access to just one character’s emotions, thoughts, and experiences. 

With this knowledge, you can choose the right perspective for your writing depending on its purpose, tone, and goals. 

For instance, use third-person omniscient to show readers what’s happening with everyone in your novel. Or, you could go for third-person objective in an academic paper where you must present facts without sharing your interpretation of them.

Writing well in the third person takes thought and effort. You must use third-person determiners and pronouns, weave in descriptive language, and keep your narration neutral. You also need to be consistent with your POV, ensuring you don’t accidentally switch to the first or second person. Finally, review and revise your work to make sure it’s clear and error-free. 

Using this guide — and Wordtune’s tools to polish your writing — you’ll get the hang of the third-person perspective in no time.

To continue sharpening your writing skills, read our articles on mastering tone of voice and writing concisely (with help from AI). Then, check out our proofreading guide to keep your work flawless . 

What is a third-person word example?

Third-person words are pronouns like “he,” “her,” “they,” “it,” “hers,” and “theirs.”

Should I write in the first or third person?

It depends on the closeness you want to create with your audience. The first person allows for a personal connection between the narrator and the reader, while the third person creates distance between the narrator and the audience.

What are the disadvantages of writing in the third person?

Third-person writing can lead to a lack of intimacy with the reader. This can be a disadvantage for some writers but an advantage for others, like those in academic and professional settings.

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How to Write in Third Person Point of View

Sarah Oakley

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.

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!

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.

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.

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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Everything You Need to Know to Write & Speak In Third Person

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

The third person is frequently used in formal writing, such as research and argumentative papers. When you write in the third person, things become more impersonal and impartial. This impartiality makes the writer appear less prejudiced and, thus, more believable in academic and professional writing. The usage of the third person aids in keeping the text objective and away from subjective opinion.

Why should you write in Third-Person? 

In third-person narration, the narrator lives outside of the story’s events and describes the activities of the characters by using their names or the third-person pronouns “he,” “she,” or “them.” The story is not recounted from the author’s point of view. A third-person narrative differs from a first-person story, a personal account told using the pronoun “I.”

Flexibility : Third-person narration can be more flexible since you can flip between the stories of different people while still being everywhere and allowing your audience to see everything. You can switch between total omniscience and a distant or constrained third point of view. The latter method will enable you to experience a character’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences firsthand, which can help the audience have a more in-depth understanding of the narrative.

Trust : When writing in the third person, the narrator is placed above the action. This gives the reader a bird’s-eye view of the narrative. Since the narrator has no stake in the outcome, this perspective, together with the knowledge of at least one character’s thoughts gives the speech a more authoritative, trustworthy voice.

Types of Third Person Point of View

Third-person objective : The facts of a narrative are presented by an observer or recorder who seems dispassionate and impartial. The narrative is told in a detached and observant manner by the narrator.

Third-person omniscient : The narrator is fully aware of both the plot and the characters. This narrator may easily travel across time, enter anyone’s head, and provide the reader with both their own thoughts and views as well as those of the characters.

Third-person limited : The story is told from the viewpoint of a single character who recounts the facts and evaluates the occurrences. It is frequently known as a closed third.

Learning to Write in Third-Person

Using the correct pronouns .

Apply the appropriate pronouns. People “on the outside” are referred to in the third person. Either use third-person pronouns when referring to someone or use their name. He, his, himself, she, her, herself, they, and them are examples of third-person pronouns. The third person is also employed by using other people’s names.

Avoiding First and Second Person Perspectives 

First-person indicates the point of view when the author expresses ideas from a purely individual viewpoint. This viewpoint is excessively subjective and judgmental. In a formal essay, stay away from the first person. Pronouns in the first person are I, me, we, and us. 

The term “second person” describes a point of view that addresses the reader directly. Speaking directly to the reader as though the author personally knows them, this point of view displays an excessive level of reader familiarity. In academic writing, never use the second person. Words like you or yours are examples of this point of view.

Indefinite terminology is often used to refer to people in writing. In other words, they could have to refer to or talk generically about a person. The desire to use the second-person pronoun “you” generally arises at this point. It is permissible to use a noun or third person pronoun in this sentence. One, someone, another, any, neither, nobody, other, somebody, and everything are examples of indefinite third-person pronouns.

Incorrect example: “You need to read this thesis to understand the study better.”

Correct example: “Reading this thesis will help one understand the research better.”

Understand how to use Plural pronouns in Third Person

It is important to know when and where to use plural pronouns. When we write in the third person, the usage of they/them/theirs, is not just for when referring to a group, but also for singular individuals when we are unaware of their gender. People may use alternative pronouns. Employing “they” helps prevent misunderstanding that could arise from using “he,” “she,” or the “he/she” terminology. 

When writing in the third person, one error that writers frequently make is conjugating a plural pronoun as a single. Saying “They was the driver,” for instance, would be incorrect. The proper phrase would be “They were the driver.”

Being Objective

When you write in the third person, use the objective perspective if you are simply presenting facts to your listeners without any mention of feelings. When speaking from an objective point of view, the tone is frequently matter-of-fact and uninfluenced by any commentary or opinions or by any prior knowledge of events occurring elsewhere. You are just listing the facts and making inferences based on them without attempting to manipulate anyone’s emotions. Describe situations that could be moving while being factual.

Adding descriptions

We can use key details to improve characterisation and clarity. Mention it in more detail if the audience needs to know how difficult your labour was or how delicious the cuisine was. This is because while you speak or write in the third person, it is simple for the listener to become confused about what is being discussed. Therefore, it is helpful to reaffirm the situational circumstances.

For example: “The team received thunderous cheers.”

Updated Example: “The entire stadium thunderously cheered the squad.”

Use character evaluations

The perspective becomes clearer when you provide evaluations and insights from your character. Remember that adverbs have a strong role to play when you write in the third person. Words like surprisingly, definitely, oddly, and disastrously can convey the wants, concerns, presumptions, and confidence of the POV character. They also reveal who is performing the observations and evaluations.

For instance, we can say “the experimenter was presumably tired” rather than “The experimenter was tired.”

This demonstrates how we maintained the third person while avoiding adopting the experimenter’s viewpoint.

Using Third Person for Business

Writing in the third person offers the author more power while narrating a narrative since it enables them to be outside of the story and omnipresent. When creating a business proposal or report, the same rule applies. Now, the majority of corporate and professional writing rules advise the applicant to write in the third person . Compared to the first or second person, it is more formal.

Avoid switching between the third and the first person. It is quite simple to unintentionally use the first-person narrative while drafting a business report. Check your work frequently to make sure you are not drifting into your own first-person perspective to avoid that. Pronouns like my, our, us, and I should be avoided. This is fixed during revising the work.

The first-person voice is typically employed in professional communications like business emails, letters, memoranda, and most other types of correspondence. This is why using the third person in your company papers is a risky move . One significant benefit, especially when it’s a delicate subject, is that you don’t come out as accusing. Instead of sa ying “You did not reach the yearly target goal,” use “The staff did not meet the annual target goal.”

The third-person account, which may be found in newsletters, adopts an authoritative and impartial tone. When one writes in the third person, they come out as being more detached, especially when writing about poor attendance at the office. It doesn’t sound like they are blaming the reader.

Understanding the importance of the first and third person is essential in effective workplace communication. Here is an article to learn more about how to use effective communication.

Should you use the Third-Person for your CV or Resume?

Never write in the third person on your CV. The key to producing a superb CV is to avoid pronouns completely; since their use is assumed, applicants don’t need to mention “I,” “he,” or “she.” If you’re an executive assistant, for instance, you should simply state “Organized accommodation for staff” rather than “I coordinated accommodations for the staff.”

Use an action verb at the start of each bullet point in your list of duties to organise them into bullet points. Say “Generated reports” in place of, for instance, “I ran reports.”

First-person pronouns are frequently preferred by job applicants when writing their profiles. This is okay, but to preserve consistency and professionalism, the rest of the CV must utilise first-person pronouns as well.

We suggest using the absent first-person perspective and eliminating all first- and third-person pronouns from every section of your CV to make it stand out. It will help keep your resume professional (and not too personal) and could provide you with a little more room to discuss the talents that matter most.

Be mindful of whether you are using the present or past tense while writing your resume. To describe your current situation, use the present tense; to describe earlier ones, use the past tense.

Using the Third-Person in Academic Writing and Essays

You must use the third person pronoun when writing anything official, such as research articles or argumentative essays. That’s because it paints an objective rather than a subjective view of your work. By being objective in this way, your work will appear more credible and unprejudiced.

First-person pronouns are never appropriate in academic writing. This is because it will force you to look at your work subjectively . First-person pronouns make it challenging to persuade readers that your work is fact-based because it will appear to be your personal ideas. Avoid using your own words and instead cite sources. Words like “I feel” need to be dropped. Additionally, using “I feel” or “I believe” while writing an essay is useless because these words are not very assertive.

When you write in the third person, you concentrate on the facts at hand rather than your own ideas. You may provide your reader with proof by writing in the third person. Show whatever you know and provide support for your claims while writing in the third person. As opposed to stating “I think” or “I feel,” it won’t be as repetitive. If you have a piece by the Washington Post, for instance, you may remark “According to the Washington Post…”

As for the second-person point of view, this is a point of view that speaks directly to the readers. The issue with this point of view is that it gives the impression that you know the readers well. It is advisable to avoid this since it may quickly become direct or accusing .

Converting First and Second Person to Third Person

Using the first and the second person in writing is something that comes more naturally to us since these are the voices used in daily life. Follow these procedures to remove the first and second person and write in the third person:

1. As you read the article, keep an eye out for first- or second-person pronouns . Keep an eye out for any personal anecdotes that could demand the usage of first-person. Use a highlighter or a pen to highlight these words.

2. Go back to any words you marked. Drop expressions like “I think” or “I believe”.

Example: I believe counselling to be quite beneficial.

Updated Example: Counseling is really beneficial.

3 . Could any of the remaining words be changed to third-person terms ?

Example: You need to ensure that all of your students have stationery.

Updated Example: A teacher is responsible for ensuring that all of their students have stationery.

4. Can personal stories be altered into hypothetical ones if they are still present and cannot be amended or removed?

Example: As a person who goes to the gym, I know some people who could buy this product.

Updated example: Many gym-goers could be interested in purchasing this item.

By revising phrases or even altering words, it is simple to get rid of most instances of first- and second-person use. It is well worth the work to change and write in a third person paper since it produces a better, more objective argument.

Should you speak in third person?

Illeism is when we speak, think or write in the third person perspective about ourself. A common internal monologue that appears when we’re trying to decide what to do, thinking back on the past, or directing ourselves through ordinary situations is shared by many people. So is it weird to talk about yourself in the third person? Yes, in a way; it’s not typical for most individuals. However, it seems that using the third person while talking about oneself has helped certain people, according to psychologists.

Third-person speaking has previously been extensively researched and has been demonstrated to momentarily enhance decision-making. Currently, a PsyArxiv article reveals that it can also improve cognitive and emotional management over the long run. This, according to the researchers, is “the first indication of how wisdom-related cognitive and emotional processes may be taught in daily life.”

The fact that using detached self-talk to regulate emotions seems to require minimal effort is one of its most fascinating features. Along with reducing emotional overwhelm, third-person inner monologue also prevented cognitive control brain regions from going into overdrive( Moser et. al., 2017 ).

Consider the scenario when you and your partner are bickering. Taking on a third-person viewpoint may assist you in understanding their perspective or in accepting the limitations of your own comprehension of the issue at hand. Or assume that you are thinking about changing careers. You might be able to analyse the advantages and hazards of the shift with more objectivity if you adopt a detached approach.

First and Second Person

I had to leave my home for the first time ever and relocate to the campus of the university. I had to choose between living in an apartment and a dorm. Although both have advantages, I believe the dormitories are superior. While we are transitioning to college, we have more opportunities for social engagement in the dorms. Food is also readily available to us . Also, throughout your first year of college, a resident assistant serves as your mentor and adviser. Dorms are a better match for me because of the social possibilities, endless food, and mentorship, even if apartments would provide me with more independence.

Third Person

Many students have to leave their homes for the first time ever and relocate to the campus of the university. They have to choose between living in an apartment and a dorm. Although both have advantages, it is usually believed that the dormitories are superior. While the students are transitioning to college, they have more opportunities for social engagement in the dorms. Food is also readily available to them . Also, throughout their first year of college, a resident assistant serves as their mentor and adviser. Dorms are a better match for the students because of the social possibilities, endless food, and mentorship, even if apartments would provide them with more independence.

One of the three writing styles you may employ when presenting a point of view is third-person writing. Although you may not be aware of it, chances are you have utilised all three when writing or speaking throughout your life.

Consistency and frequent practice are the keys to mastering the art of writing speeches and papers in the third person. Analyze and critique your work until it becomes the standard. In the beginning, it could seem a little complicated, but before you know it, you’ll have mastered the method. This will undoubtedly enable you to elevate your papers and presentations to a new level.

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Understanding Third-Person (Omniscient, Point of View, Examples)

What does it mean for something to be written in the third-person? What about writing in the second person or first person?

Don’t get intimidated by the terms. It’s all smoke in mirrors. Keep reading to learn the difference between novels written in the first, second, and third person perspectives.

What does it mean to write in the third person?

Writing in the first, second, and third person refers to the point of view that the narrator takes on in telling a story.

What’s point of view?

A story’s point of view describes the perspective or viewpoint from which the story is being told. Point of view responds to the question ‘ who is telling the story?’

To distinguish between points of view, look to see which person is speaking to the reader and describing the story’s events.

The three main types of POV

There are three main categories of points of view:

• First-person point of view.
• Second person.
• Third-person point of view.

Let’s go over each.

First-person point of view

Think about how we communicate in our day-to-day lives . We speak from our own personal experience and point of view. When we talk to our friends, we speak in the first person, using first-person pronouns, such as , I , me , my , myself , we , us , ourselves , and so on.

It works the same in writing.

When writing is in the first person perspective, the main character speaks to their experiences personally or from a personal point of view. They describe their own experiences almost as though they are conversing with the reader.

From the first person, readers are invited into the character’s head, it’s as though we listen to them narrate the events directly. In this way, the first-person perspective allows more intimate access to a character’s thoughts, feelings, emotions, opinions, and so on.

When novels are written in the first person, they are often told by the main character in the story themselves. They could also be told from the perspective of a character closely observing the main character. An example of the latter is in the classic novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Nick Caraway, the narrator of the novel, is not a central character in the story but instead observes the main characters (such as Jay Gatsby) in close proximity.

Other novels written in the first person are narrated by the main characters themselves, detailing their direct experience of the events as they unfold throughout the novel’s length, or in hindsight, through recollection.

A classic novel that exemplifies this is The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger . The novel’s protagonist and main character, Holden Caufield , tells the story entirely from his character’s POV.

See the following examples of writing in the first person POV.

Examples of writing in the first person POV in literature

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. —from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. —from Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

The widow she cried over me, and called me a poor lost lamb, and she called me a lot of other names, too, but she never meant no harm by it. She put me in them new clothes again, and I couldn’t do nothing but sweat and sweat, and feel all cramped up. —from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.

When enough years had gone by to enable us to look back on them, we sometimes discussed the events leading to his accident. I maintain that the Ewells started it all, but Jem, who was four years my senior, said it started long before that. He said it began the summer Dill came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out. —from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Second person

In the second-person point of view, the speaker or narrator of the novel addresses the reader directly by using second-person pronouns, such as you .

The second person perspective is the least common perspective used in fiction writing and storytelling.

Second-person pronouns refer to the person or people being addressed in the sentence or writing. Pronouns that are in the second person include you , yours , yourself , yourselves .

Examples of writing in the second person in literature

You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino’s new novel, If on a winter’s night a traveler. Relax. Concentrate. Dispel every other thought. Let the world around you fade. Best to close the door; the TV is always on in the next room. Tell the others right away, “No, I don’t want to watch TV!” Raise your voice — they won’t hear you otherwise — “I’m reading! I don’t want to be disturbed!” Maybe they haven’t heard you, with all that racket; speak louder, yell: “I’m beginning to read Italo Calvino’s new novel!” Or if you prefer, don’t say anything: just hope they’ll leave you alone. —from If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino.

You are not the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning. But here you are, and you cannot say that the terrain is entirely unfamiliar, although the details are fuzzy .—from Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInnerney.

This was the last thing you and I talked about while you were still alive. After, only your email with a list of books you thought might be helpful to me in my research. And, because it was the season, best wishes for the new year. —from The Friend by Sigrid Nunez.

Third person point of view

The most common narrative choice in literature is the third-person POV. The dictionary defines the third person narration as:

The grammatical person used by the speaker of an utterance in referring to anyone or anything other than the speaker or the one (third person singular) or ones (third person plural) being addressed. ( Dictionary.com )

When a story is told in the third person, it’s from a third person concerning the events taking place within the story. The third person perspective reports the events to the reader from the outside, as though from a bystander’s perspective, removed from the story itself.

Writing in the third person narrative uses third person pronouns, such as: he , she , it , they ; his , her , it’s ; him , her , it ; himself , herself , itself ; they ; them ; their ; themselves .

Third person omniscient vs. third person limited

The third-person viewpoint is the most common in fiction writing and storytelling. There are two main subtypes of the third person POV: the third person omniscient point of view and the third person limited perspective .

First-person limited

With first person limited, the narrator closely follows the perspective of a single character, usually the main character or protagonist of a novel. Third person limited uses third person pronouns such as he , she , his , hers , etc .

This viewpoint gives the author both flexibility and intimacy by allowing them to enter the character’s head and inner thoughts while still being able to write in third-person pronouns.

That said, the limited aspect of this point of view is that the speaker can only access the mind of a single character as opposed to all of the characters in the story; as in the case of third person omniscient.

The readers are therefore limited in this way to view the main character’s viewpoint and personal account or understanding of things. The central character offers the widest lens through which to understand or see the story. The other character’s thoughts and feelings are unknown unless they come out throughout the course of the novel in other ways or through inference and speculation on the part of the viewpoint character.

Examples of writing in the third person limited POV

“Harry sat up and examined the jagged piece on which he had cut himself, seeing nothing but his own bright green eye reflected back at him.” . —J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows .

Stepan Arkadyevitch was a truthful man in his relations with himself. He was incapable of deceiving himself and persuading himself that he repented of his conduct. He could not at this date repent of the fact that he, a handsome, susceptible man of thirty-four, was not in love with his wife, the mother of five living and two dead children, and only a year younger than himself. —Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina.

Third person omniscient narration

The third-person omniscient is the most common view of all the narrative options in fiction writing. The third person omniscient gives the narrator an all-knowing or ‘god’s eye’ POV.

It’s a tricky concept, but with the third person omniscient, the narrator is already aware of the main character’s thoughts, along with everyone else in the story. This does not mean each character becomes the narrator themselves, but rather that the narrator observes each character and decides what to reveal to the reader.

When stories are narrated not by one of the main characters themselves but from an outside observer looking in, or an unidentifiable narrator, this is in the third person omniscient POV. The third-person omniscient point of view gives the writer creative liberty to entirely create an entire world of developed and dynamic characters of their choosing.

Third-person examples in literature

Occupied in observing Mr. Bingley’s attentions to her sister, Elizabeth was far from suspecting that she was herself becoming an object of some interest in the eyes of his friend. Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty: he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticize. —from the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

“Rupunzel, Rupunzel” the Prince called, “Let down your hair!” Rupunzel unbraided her hair and slung it out the window. The Prince climbed her locks into the tower. —Brother’s Grimm fairy tales

Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself. For Lucy had her work cut out for her. The doors would be taken off their hinges; Rumpelmayer’s men were coming. And then , thought Clarissa Dalloway, what a morning—fresh as if issued to children on a beach. — Mrs Dalloway , Virginia Woolf.

“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. — Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Stories told in the first person narrative recount the events of the story from the character’s own personal perspective of the events that are taking place around them. In the first person narrative, it’s as if the reader gains access to the character’s internal mind, thoughts and feelings. They use personal pronouns such as I , me , my , ours , we , and so forth.

In the second person the speaker directly addresses the reader in the second person pronouns, you , yours , yourself , yourselves . This perspective makes you the main character, and is least common in writing.

Third person is most common, and gives the narrator an outside position from the story events. There are two main types: first person limited and omniscient .

• Definition of first person narration
• Definition of second person narrative
• Definition of third person narration
• Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf 1925
• If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Inside this article

Fact checked: Content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. Learn more.

About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

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How to Express Your Opinion in Third Person: A Comprehensive Guide

Welcome! In this guide, we will explore various ways to express your opinion in the third person. Whether you need to convey your thoughts formally or informally, we’ll provide you with tips, examples, and even a few regional variations if necessary. So, let’s dive right in!

Formal Ways to Express Opinions in Third Person

When it comes to formal settings, such as academic writing or professional conversations, it’s important to adopt a polished and objective tone. Here are a few approaches:

1. Use Passive Voice

One way to express opinions in the third person formally is by utilizing passive voice constructions. By doing so, the focus shifts from the individual to the general stance. For example, instead of saying “I believe,” you can say:

It is widely believed that…

This approach maintains objectivity and strengthens the credibility of your statement.

2. Employ Indirect Speech

Another strategy is to express opinions indirectly using phrases like “it has been stated that” or “experts argue.” By crediting the opinion to someone else, you can maintain neutrality while still conveying your standpoint. Consider the following example:

According to expert analysis, it can be concluded that…

This provides the same effect as stating your opinion directly while retaining formality.

Informal Ways to Express Opinions in Third Person

When it comes to informal situations, conversations with friends, or casual writing, you can adopt a more relaxed tone. Here are a few tips:

1. Utilize Introducing Phrases

Using certain phrases can help you express your opinion while maintaining a conversational tone. For instance:

It seems to me that… From my point of view…

These phrases clearly present your opinion while being less assertive than directly stating it.

2. Add Qualifying Words

To make your opinion sound less absolute, you can include qualifying words or phrases. Consider the following examples:

In my experience, it appears that… It is possible that…

This approach adds a level of uncertainty, easing your opinion into the conversation while still expressing your viewpoint.

Examples of Opinion Statements

Let’s explore some example sentences that showcase how to express opinions in the third person:

1. Formal Examples:

• Research suggests that…
• It is generally accepted that…
• According to various studies…
• Experts have indicated that…

2. Informal Examples:

• From what I’ve seen, it seems like…
• I’m personally convinced that…
• As far as I know…
• It kinda feels like…

These examples can help you shape your opinions in the third person, respecting the context and tone of your conversation or writing.

Regional Variations

Opinion expression in the third person remains relatively consistent across regions. However, certain phrases or idiomatic expressions may vary depending on the local dialect or culture. If you’re interested in regional variations, consider exploring idiomatic expressions or common ways locals express opinions in their respective languages.

Final Thoughts

Expressing your opinion in the third person can be a valuable tool in various contexts. By mastering formal and informal approaches, you can present your viewpoint with clarity and finesse. Remember to adapt the tone to the specific setting, respecting formality, or embracing informality based on the situation. Practice these techniques, review the examples, and you’ll soon become proficient in expressing your opinions in the third person!

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How to Say "In My Opinion" in Third Person: Formal and Informal Ways

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Expressing Your Opinion: Why Your Voice Matters

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How to Use Third Person in a Paragraph Essay

How to Identify Figurative Language

Writing in the third person is more formally known as using the third-person objective point of view. The third person point of view in an essay is characterized by the use of personal pronouns such as he, she, they or one rather than I, we or you. Formal essays as well as some types of informal essays are typically written in the third person. The third person can apply to single-paragraph essays as well as more common, longer essay formats.

Use the words he, she, it and they for your personal pronouns in the nominative case, meaning when they're the subject of a sentence or clause. Eliminate any references to I, we, or you. "A man's clothing affects how he looks," for example, is written in the third person. "Your clothing affects how you look" is written in the second person. "My clothing affects how I look" is first person.

Use the words him, her, it and them for your personal pronouns in the objective case. Eliminate any references to me, us or you in this case. "Clothes are important to them," for example, is written in the third person. "Clothes are important to you" is in the second person, while "Clothes are important to me" is written in the first person.

Use the words his, her, hers, it, their and theirs for your personal pronouns in the possessive case. Eliminate any references to my, mine, our, ours, your or yours in this case. "The clothes are theirs," for example, is written in the third person. "The clothes are yours" is written in the second person. "The clothes are mine" is first person.

Use indefinite pronouns such as anybody, anyone, both, each, everybody, somebody, someone and several. "Anybody can state an opinion," for example, is written in the third person. "I can state an opinion" is written in the first person.

Review your essay to ensure it remains in the third person throughout. "Unless someone trains harder, your fitness level will hit a plateau," for example, mixes third person with second person. Instead, write: "Unless someone trains harder, his fitness level will hit a plateau."

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Third Person

What is third person.

• I am speaking to you about her .
• The policeman is speaking to the teacher about Anne .

Table of Contents

"Third Person" Explained

Third person in grammar, examples of third person pronouns in different cases, first, second, and third person pronouns, why the third person is important, video lesson.

• Third Person Narrative . A third-person narrative is a story told using the pronouns "he," "she," "it," or "they" or using nouns. In other words, the story is not told from a personal perspective. A third-person narrative contrasts with a first-person narrative, which is a story told from a personal perspective using the pronoun "I" (and sometimes "we").
• To Write in the Third Person . "To write in the third person" means to use nouns or the pronouns "he," "she," "it," or "they." It is common in business writing.
• Third Party Insurance . Third-party insurance protects against the claims of others. Look at the following sentence: I (the first party) am ensured by you, the insurer (the second party), to protect me against them (the third party).
• First person : "I" and "we"
• Second person : "you"
• Third person: "He/She/It" and "They"

• Masculine gender : He, him, his
• Feminine gender : She, her, hers
• Neuter gender : It, its

(Reason 1) Understanding the person categories is useful for learning a foreign language.

(reason 2) using the third person presents a formal air..

• Avro Corps will handle your complaint within 48 hours.
• We will handle your complaint within 48 hours.

(Reason 3) Using the third person for storytelling can make you seem all-knowing.

• In business, write in the first person for a personal touch.
• When writing fiction, write in the first person to engage your audience quickly.
• Don't say or write "between you and I"...ever.

(Reason 4) The third-person possessive determiner "its" not "it's."

Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos .

This page was written by Craig Shrives .

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Writing in the third person can be a challenging yet rewarding endeavor. This narrative style allows for presentation of a story from the perspective of an outside observer, offering a degree of objectivity and distancing readers from the personal experiences and biases of a single character. By adopting the third person point of view, you can deliver a richer, more multilayered narrative with greater depth and insight. Here are six techniques to help you master writing in third person:

1. Determine the type of third person perspective: There are three main types of third person narration – limited, omniscient, and objective. Limited third person focuses on the thoughts and feelings of just one character, revealing their perspective while maintaining some level of emotional detachment. Omniscient third person allows for insights into multiple characters’ thoughts and feelings, providing readers with a broader understanding of the story. Objective third person remains unbiased and presents only observable actions without delving into the internal mindset of any character.

2. Establish a consistent narrative voice : Consistency is key when writing in third person. Decide whether you want your narrator to be formal, informal, or somewhere in between. Be aware that choosing an overly colloquial or familiar tone may risk pulling readers out of the story.

3. Keep pronouns in check: Use pronouns such as “he,” “she,” “it,” or “they” to refer to your characters instead of “I” or “me.” This prevents slipping accidentally into first-person narration.

4. Develop unique character perspectives: When using limited or omniscient third person narration, take time to flesh out each character’s inner thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. This gives readers access to multiple perspectives within your story, building connections with various characters while expanding their understanding of your narrative world.

5. Balance description with action: While writing in third person allows for increased descriptive detail, it’s important not to neglect the pace and energy of your story. Balance background information, character introspection, and world-building with engaging action and plot development to keep readers invested.

6. Show, don’t tell: When portraying emotions, thoughts, or character traits in third person, it’s often more effective to show these aspects through actions rather than outright telling your reader how a character feels or thinks. This technique encourages readers to deduce information on their own, creating a more immersive reading experience.

By practicing these six techniques, you can effectively write in third person and create a compelling narrative that invites readers to approach your story from an outside perspective. This unique point of view encourages deeper understanding and connection with your characters while providing flexibility and depth within your storytelling.

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Last updated on Nov 15, 2022

Third Person Limited: A Personal and Engaging POV

Third person limited is a point of view in which the narrator tells the story from one character’s perspective at a time, using the pronouns he, she, and they to describe their thoughts and actions.

Ursula Le Guin provided a succinct definition of this limited viewpoint: “Only what the viewpoint character knows, feels, perceives, thinks, guesses, hopes, remembers, etc., can be told. The reader can infer what other people feel and think only from what the viewpoint character observes of their behavior.”

In this part of our guide to literary points of view, we’ll break down what it means to write from a limited perspective, examining the benefits and potential pitfalls. 

Third person limited has access to a character’s thoughts

Third person limited offers access to a character’s inner thoughts and emotions, much in the same way that first-person narration does. As a result, it creates a sense of narrative empathy, making it easier for readers to imagine themselves in the viewpoint character’s shoes — or as their confidante. 

Let’s look at an example from Orson Scott Card’s Ender's Game :

But Ender knew, even as he thought it, that Peter wouldn’t leave him alone. There was something in Peter’s eyes, when he was in his mad mood, and whenever Ender saw that look, that glint, he knew that the one thing Peter would not do was leave him alone. I’m practicing piano, Ender. Come turn the pages for me. Oh, is the monitor boy too busy to help his brother? Is he too smart? Got to go kill some buggers, astronaut? 

Card gives a peek into our protagonist’s thoughts: from his deductions of another’s behavior (“But Ender knew [...] that Peter wouldn't leave him alone”) to Ender’s imagined harassment by Peter, we’re right there in our protagonist’s head. 

When handled well, you could argue that third person limited is even more intimate than a first person narrative. Instead of a protagonist telling you their story, you are indirectly encouraged to experience the story as the protagonist does . A powerful trick of the trade!

Narrators are more reliable than in first person 

In addition to creating empathy and intimacy between the reader and the viewpoint character, the third person limited perspective benefits from greater objectivity. First person narrators can have biases, limited self-awareness, or a reluctance to share crucial facts 一 making them unreliable at times . An external narrator, instead, can describe things more accurately, adding meaning and context to a character’s behavior (and development ). 

For example, in A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, the narrator puts us in the head of his buffoonish protagonist — showing us what he’s thinking while also reminding us to take it all with a grain of salt:

A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head. The green earflaps, full of large ears and uncut hair and the fine bristles that grew in the ears themselves, stuck out on either side like turn signals indicating two directions at once. Full, pursed lips protruded beneath the bushy black moustache and, at their corners, sank into little folds filled with disapproval and potato chip crumbs. In the shadow under the green visor of the cap Ignatius J. Reilly’s supercilious blue and yellow eyes looked down upon the other people waiting under the clock at the D.H. Holmes department store, studying the crowd of people for signs of bad taste in dress. Several of the outfits, Ignatius noticed, were new enough and expensive enough to be properly considered offenses against taste and decency. Possession of anything new or expensive only reflected a person’s lack of theology and geometry; it could even cast doubts upon one’s soul.

A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole

Only a third person could inform the reader that, while Ignatius judges other people’s fashion as an ‘offense against taste’, he himself looks preposterous. Through the added context, we quickly learn about the contradictory nature of the character, something he wouldn't have told us if we were getting the story directly from him. 

The ability to zoom out and portray characters through a ‘cinematic lens’ contributes to the popularity of this POV, but there are more perks to it, such as keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.

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It maintains a level of uncertainty and surprise

In the mystery, suspense, and thriller genres, you’ll commonly see third person limited narration. Compared to other POVs, it’s a natural way to tell a story that has a lot of unknowns — things like revelations, and plot twists.

An omniscient narrator, by their very nature, knows who the killer is in a mystery but they must carefully omit details to keep the mystery alive. A limited third person narrator, on the other hand, only reveals what the viewpoint character knows, which allows the reader to uncover the mystery only as it occurs to the protagonist. If the focal character is surprised by a plot twist , the reader will be as well.

For example, in Agatha Christie’s classic Murder on the Orient Express , detective Hercules Poirot is on a train on his way back to London, when he is informed about… a murder:

“Ah! my good friend,” cried M. Bouc. “Come in. We have need of you.”

The little man in the window shifted along the seat, and Poirot squeezed past: the other two men and sat down facing his friend.

The expression on M. Bouc’s face gave him, as he would have expressed it, furiously to think. It was clear that something out of the common had happened.

“What has occurred?” he asked.

“You may well ask that. First this snow-this stoppage. And now—”

He paused—and a sort of strangled gasp came from the Wagon Lit conductor.

“And now what?”

“And now a passenger lies dead in his berth—stabbed.” 

Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie

It’s the inciting incident that sets Poirot on a ‘journey’ to find out who’s the culprit. By having an up-close but limited access to his viewpoint, the reader will be able 一 as the story unfolds 一 to feel his confusion, frustration, and excitement in trying to solve the case. 

However, despite its engaging qualities, this POV requires some craftsmanship to ensure that it doesn't slip through the cracks.

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Writing with it requires discipline and focus

The most common pitfall with the third person limited POV is head-hopping, which is when the narrator reveals the thoughts or feelings of a non-focal character. In other words, they ‘hop’ between the heads of multiple protagonists, instead of sticking close to their focal character. 

For example, imagine a scene where your POV character, Ciara, is speaking to a priest: 

Ciara finally mustered up the courage to ask the big question. “Were you there when my sister died?” Father Walsh paused. Not wishing to upset the poor girl, he quickly concocted a version of the truth that Ciara could handle.

This would be a misuse of the third person limited, as there’s no way for your main character to know Father Walsh’s reluctance — unless she is a mind reader, in which case, all bets are off. You can, however, demonstrate Father Walsh’s reluctance by employing some classic show, don’t tell action. Your POV character can observe him avoiding eye contact, stopping and starting sentences, or fidgeting with his cuffs — all evasive gestures that suggest reluctance or deceit.

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Head-hopping is not ideal when it happens with omniscient narrators — but positively disastrous with a limited POV. While modern editing programs will detect when you're shifting between passive and active tense, they won't be able to warn you when you've accidentally swapped your point of view character. In this case, the professional eye of an editor can surely help to revise your manuscript and keep your perspective consistent.

Pro tip: When writing in third person, try to avoid filtering , which occurs when you over-contextualize the actions of characters. F.e. the sentence “Eavesdropping, she realized they were talking about her.” could be more directly expressed as: “She eavesdropped. They were talking about her.” This keeps the character close and the narrative vivid.

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Limited Narrator Example: Murder at Reedsy Manor

Let's take a look at a limited third person perspective, with another murder case...

The third person limited is a favorite POV of authors and readers alike, but fiction has a place for its omniscient counterpart too. If you're ready for a 'wider' viewpoint, head on to our next post on third person omniscient.

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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 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 March 25, 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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