Could someone explain how to identify first person, first peripheal, third person omniscient,third person limited or third person paraphase. I know the definitions but I guess I just need a basic way to identify them from each other-is there such a thing? I have a hard time identfying stories in the point of view. I've dogpiled, googled and everyhting I can think of-I just need some basic rules like if it starts with pronouns and then "I saw him and then it changes again to another person in the "I" and continues it would be.... Thank you

Question

Could someone explain how to identify  first person, first peripheal, third person omniscient,third person limited or third person paraphase. I know the definitions but I guess I just need a basic way to identify them from each other-is there such a thing? I have a hard time identfying stories in the point of view. I've dogpiled, googled and everyhting I can think of-I just need some basic rules like if it starts with pronouns and then "I saw him and then it changes again to another person in the "I" and continues it would be.... Thank you

Writeacher · Answer

First person will have "I" telling the story.

If there is no "I" then it is third-person of some kind. If the narrator knows things that are happening and will happen that the characters in the story don't know, then it's third-person omniscient.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrative_mode
This article is very good.

Raymond · Answer

I read the article but I still have a question-can it be third person limited if there is dialogue with the "I" in it? Example: John Jones saw his old neighbor Tom Flannery for the first time in 20 years. "Tom , waht happened to you?" "I had an accident. then it goes back to the narration?