Point of View Test

Directions: Read each passage of the following passages and identify the narrators’ point of view. Shade in the appropriate bubble if you are using a testing document, or circle the correct answer if you are not.

1. Super Easy Fun Tea by Fun Tea Inc.

Super Easy Fun Tea is not only easy to make and fun to drink, it's delicious. Before you begin brewing Super Easy Fun Tea, make sure that gather the following: a teapot, a strainer, and a bag of Super Easy Fun Tea.  Once you have your materials, boil some water in your teapot.  When your water comes to a boil, pour it into a cup.  Drop the Super Easy Fun Tea into an empty glass and fill it with the boiling water.  Now, wait twelve to sixteen hours for Super Easy Fun Tea to dissolve in the water.  Reheat the Super Easy Fun Tea mixture to desired temperature and enjoy!

a) first-person b) second-person c) third-person objective

d) third-person limited e) third-person omniscient

2. The Love Square by Molly Robinson

Chris threw his books in his locker and began walking out of the building.  That's when he bumped into Bridget.  There were tears in her eyes.  "What's wrong, B?" He asked with genuine concern. She shook her head and responded through sobs, "It's nothing."  Chris knew that she was lying.  He figured that she was probably fighting with her boyfriend Michael again.  He couldn't help but to keep asking, "Oh, come on, B.  Is it something with Michael?"  Bridget broke out into a full whine, "Yes… he says that we are through.  He can't really mean it!" Now Chris regretted succumbing to his inquisitive nature. He was in for a long one.

a) first-person b) second-person c) third-person objective

d) third-person limited e) third-person omniscient

3. Against All Odds: The Great Casino Heist by Juan Julio

Valentino quickly calculated the odds in his head.  He didn't like them.  "Well, Armand, the odds are against us walking out of that casino alive and free. I don't think that we should do it."  Armand smiled.  He was used to Valentino's fear of numbers.  Armand did not live by numbers and probability.  He lived by fate, and he believed that he and Valentino were fated to pull of this casino heist.  "Valentino, listen to me. It's going to be ok.  Just come meet the other guys.  Then you can recalculate your chances."  He knew that Valentino would be unable to resist the opportunity to recheck his figures.

a) first-person b) second-person c) third-person objective

d) third-person limited e) third-person omniscient

4. Victory Lap: The Robert Howitzer Story by Robert Howitzer

Bang! The starting gun fired and all of the runners bolted off of their blocks. In regular life it is common for a tenth of a second to pass without most people noticing. However, every fraction of a second counts on the racetrack. When I heard the gun discharge, my mind was elsewhere. I was thinking about Julia, the argument Franz and I were having, and how good a jelly donut would taste. The gun brought me back to the present, but I lost a fraction of a second in the transition and, as I was saying, every fraction of a second counts on the racetrack.

a) first-person b) second-person c) third-person objective

d) third-person limited e) third-person omniscient

5. Dead Eye on the Horizon by Buck Thornton

The sun sat high in the sky.  Red locked eyes with Dusty from across the street.  A swirl of dust rolled through.  Red kept his hand at his waist, near his gun. His eyes were fixed on Dusty and Dusty returned the glare.  "Well, Red, we always knew that it would come to this, didn't we?"  Red ignored the question.  "Why'd you do it, Dusty?" Red asked, his voice wavering.  "Oh, I don't know, Red.  The money was nice but, to be honest, I just got sick of you telling me what to do all of the time."  A horse neighed in the distance. Dusty's fingers twitched. Red drew from his hip. Dusty drew too. Neither of them fired a shot. They stood about thirty yards apart. A bramble rolled between them.

a) first-person b) second-person c) third-person objective

d) third-person limited e) third-person omniscient

6. Courage in the Darkness by Ray Marigold

It didn't matter how long he interrogated us. The important thing was that we all stuck together. If one of us cracked under the pressure, it'd be the end of us all. I guess in that way we were bound by our silence. Twelve strangely different individuals from twelve distant places, each with one very important thing in common: we all had to work together to cover-up this terrible secret. Each of us was linked to this secret and if one of the links were to break, the whole chain would fall apart.

a) first-person b) second-person c) third-person objective

d) third-person limited e) third-person omniscient

7. Dungeon Plunge by John Camden

You hear the sound of chains dragging and turn around just in time to see the skeleton rising. He is walking slowly, reaching his skeletal fingers toward you. You notch an arrow and draw your bow. The skeleton continues moving toward you and he is about ten feet away now. You release the arrow and it flies at his torso. Had the skeleton been a regular beast, the arrow would have punctured its heart. Unfortunately, your arrow flew right through his empty rib cage and stuck into the wall behind him with a thunk. You hear a hiss coming from his vacuous mouth. If you would like to fire another arrow at him, turn to page 52. If you would like to run away from him and leave behind the treasure chest, turn to page 86.

a) first-person b) second-person c) third-person objective

d) third-person limited e) third-person omniscient

8. Go Wildcats! Go! By Brandy Sauk

Mr. Leon scratched his head as he looked at the projector. He noticed a flashing red light on the device that he had never seen before. He figured that something was wrong with it, but he had no idea what. The students were now talking very loudly. Mr. Leon was losing his patience. Greg and Elaine began fighting over a pencil. Louis, who sat in the front row, knew exactly what was wrong. He had seen this same situation in Mr. Reinhardt's class last year when Mr. Reinhardt tried to show a science film. Louis knew that this light meant that the bulb on the projector needed to be changed, but he wasn't going to tell Mr. Leon. Louis remembered last week, when he had really needed to use the washroom and Mr. Reinhardt wouldn't let him go. He smiled as the class grew louder and wilder.

a) first-person b) second-person c) third-person objective

d) third-person limited e) third-person omniscient

9. Surviving Amy by Craig Lee

Frank tossed the bottle into the fire. Amy scoffed at him. Frank remembered that this camping trip was supposed to be fun, that it was supposed to bring them back together, so he ignored her. "Why did you throw that in there, Frank? Do you want to pull hot garbage out of the ashes later when it's time to leave?" Frank shook his head in disbelief and responded, "Well, Amy, I'm pretty sure that it will melt in the fire, because fire burns things." Amy scoffed again. "You're unbelievable, Frank. You really think this tiny fire is going to melt glass?" Frank held his index finger and thumb against his temples. She's doing it again. He thought. She's trying to pick a fight with me. Amy smiled at him, but she didn't look happy.

a) first-person b) second-person c) third-person objective

d) third-person limited e) third-person omniscient

10. Indigo the Incredible by Donald Miller

"She didn't bring the money," Ally said to Bertha. Bertha began smacking her fist against her palm and turned her attention to me, "What do you mean you didn't bring the money?" I didn't know what to say. In my head I thought that this encounter would go more smoothly. I replied, "Uh... well, Bertha, you see, the thing is..." As I was stuttering out an excuse she grabbed me by my collar and three me against the locker. "Obviously you thought I was playing. Now you're going to find out that I don't play." I was sort of flaying my arms around in surprise when I accidently poked Bertha in the eye. She fell to the ground and held her eye, tears pouring out of it. That's when Willie came up and yelled, "Hey, everybody! The new girl beat up Bertha and Bertha is crying." The other students cheered. I knew that I was dead meat.

a) first-person b) second-person c) third-person objective

d) third-person limited e) third-person omniscient

Part II – Definitions

Directions: Match the definitions to the terms. Shade in the appropriate bubble or write the letter of the answer after the definition.

11. When the narration follows you and your perspective 12. When the narrator tells the story of “he” or “she” and reveals two or more characters’ thoughts or feelings 13. When the narrator tells the story of “he” or “she” and does not reveal any characters’ thoughts 14. When the story is narrated from the perspective of “I” 15. When the narrator tells the story of “he” or “she” and reveals one character’s thoughts and feelings

a. First-Person b. Second-Person c. Third-Person Objective d. Third-Person Limited e. Third-Person Omniscient