Third Person - GCSE English Language Definition

Third person is a type of narrative voice used in both GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature. In third person, the narrator is not a character in the story. Instead, they describe the actions, thoughts, and feelings of others using names or pronouns like "he", "she", or "they".

Writers use third person to give a wider view of events or to explore different characters' experiences. It can help the reader understand the story from a more neutral or distant point of view. There are different types of third person narration, such as omniscient (where the narrator knows everything) or limited (where the narrator only knows one character's thoughts).

Example of third person in a GCSE text

In An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley, the play is written in third person from a stage direction point of view. The script uses names like “Birling” or “Sheila” to describe characters' actions, rather than saying “I” or “we”. This allows the audience to observe each character more clearly and judge their actions for themselves.