Determine Point of View: Read this narrative opening.
"I used to think the creek behind our trailer park was just a ditch with water in it. But on the first hot day of June, when my little sister Lina dared me to cross it on the fallen log, I realized the creek had rules—mostly the kind that could embarrass you in front of a sixth grader."
What point of view is used, and what is one clue?
- Third person limited; the narrator stays outside the action and refers to the main character by name rather than by personal pronouns like "I" or "me."
- First person; the narrator uses "I" and shares personal thoughts like "I used to think" and "I realized." (correct answer)
- Third person omniscient; the narrator knows and reveals what several characters privately think, including Lina's hidden feelings about the dare.
- Second person; the narrator addresses the reader as "you" and gives direct instructions about what the reader should do next.
Explanation: The correct choice is first person because the narrator uses the pronoun "I" and tells the story from inside their own experience, sharing private reflections like "I used to think" and "I realized." The narrator is also a character in the action—being dared by "my little sister Lina" to cross the log. The third person limited choice is wrong because the passage does use "I" repeatedly and the narrator is part of the story, not an outside observer naming the character. The third person omniscient choice is wrong because the narrator only reports their own thoughts; we never get inside Lina's mind or learn her private feelings about the dare. The second person choice is wrong because, although the word "you" appears once, it is used generally ("the kind that could embarrass you"), not as a direct command telling the reader what to do.