First Person - GCSE English Language Definition

First person is a way of writing where the narrator is a character in the story and uses pronouns like "I," "me," and "my." This means the events are described from that character’s personal point of view, so we experience the story through their eyes.

Writers use first person to make a text feel more personal and engaging. It allows the reader to understand the narrator’s emotions, thoughts, and reactions more deeply. In GCSE English Language, you might see first person used in fiction, autobiographies, and personal writing, where it helps build a strong connection between the narrator and the reader.

Example of first person in a GCSE text

In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, the story is told entirely in the first person by Christopher, the narrator.

He says, “My name is Christopher John Francis Boone. I know all the countries of the world and their capital cities.” This first-person perspective lets us see directly into Christopher’s unique way of thinking and makes the story more personal and powerful.