Different viewpoints in texts · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Whose eyes are we seeing through?

English · Reading Comprehension · ages 10-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. A story begins: 'We grabbed our backpacks and ran for the bus, but it left without us.' Who is telling this part of the story?

    • A character in the story, speaking as 'we'
    • An all-knowing narrator outside the story
    • The bus driver, thinking to himself

  2. A story tells us what Ana thinks about moving to a new town, what her little brother hopes, and even what the cat wants. What kind of narrator is telling this story?

    • A limited narrator
    • No narrator at all
    • An omniscient narrator

  3. A story says, 'I couldn't believe she said that to me.' What point of view is this, and what do we know?

    • Third person limited - one character's thoughts only
    • First person - only the speaker's own thoughts and feelings
    • Third person omniscient - every character's thoughts

  4. A limited narrator can tell you exactly what every character in the story is thinking.

    Circle one:   True   False

  5. A narrator keeps describing one character as 'sneaky' and 'unpleasant' without any character ever seeing them do anything wrong. What might this show about the narrator?

    • The narrator is definitely omniscient
    • The narrator may be biased against that character
    • The story has no narrator

  6. A writer wants to tell the story of a big family dinner where every person at the table has a different secret worry. Why might an omniscient narrator be a good choice?

    • So the reader can visit each family member's mind and understand everyone's side
    • So the reader only learns what the youngest child knows
    • So the story never has to mention anyone's feelings

  7. True or false: a narrator who tells the story by saying 'I' can tell the reader exactly what every other character is secretly thinking.

    Circle one:   True   False

  8. A story follows only Ben's thoughts as he argues with his sister. We never learn what she is thinking. What kind of narrator is this?

    • Limited narrator
    • Omniscient narrator
    • No narrator at all

  9. A story says: 'Leo packed his bag slowly. He was sure the trip would be a disaster. Across the room, his sister hummed a happy tune.' What does the narrator actually know here?

    • The thoughts of both Leo and his sister
    • Only Leo's thoughts; his sister is only seen from outside
    • Neither child's thoughts, because no one says 'I'

  10. A student says: 'This story is told in third person, so the narrator must know what every character is thinking.' What is wrong with this claim?

    • Third person can still be limited to one character's thoughts
    • Third person always means omniscient
    • Third person narrators cannot describe feelings at all
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Whose eyes are we seeing through? W1-mt_LCJNRaRXtW-s1

  1. A character in the story, speaking as 'we' · The words 'we', 'our', and 'us' show the speaker is one of the kids in the story, telling it from the inside.
  2. An omniscient narrator · The narrator knows what Ana, her brother, and even the cat are thinking. Knowing many minds makes the narrator omniscient.
  3. First person - only the speaker's own thoughts and feelings · The word 'I' shows first person. We only get inside that one speaker's head.
  4. False · A limited narrator only knows one character's thoughts and feelings, not everyone's.
  5. The narrator may be biased against that character · When a narrator's descriptions shape our opinion without evidence, it can be a sign of the narrator's own bias.
  6. So the reader can visit each family member's mind and understand everyone's side · An omniscient narrator can open every mind at the table, so the reader understands each person's side.
  7. False · A narrator who says 'I' is telling their own story. They only know their own thoughts, so other characters' secret thoughts stay hidden.
  8. Limited narrator · Because we only see inside Ben's mind and not his sister's, the narrator's knowledge is limited to Ben.
  9. Only Leo's thoughts; his sister is only seen from outside · We enter Leo's mind, but we only watch his sister from outside. A character appearing in a scene does not mean the narrator knows her thoughts.
  10. Third person can still be limited to one character's thoughts · Third person can be limited or omniscient. Using 'he' or 'she' does not automatically mean the narrator knows everything.
Worksheet · LightMySky