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Third Person
What Is Third Person?
The term "third person" refers to someone else, i.e., not the speaker ("I," "me"), a group including the speaker ("we," "us"), or the speaker's audience ("you"). For example:- I am speaking to you about her. ("I" is the speaker, so "I" is in the first person. "You" is the person being spoken to, so "you" is in the second person. "Her" is in the third person.)
- The policeman is speaking to the teacher about Anne. ("The policeman," "the teacher," and "Anne" are all in the third person because they are not the speaker and not the person being spoken to.)
Table of Contents
- "Third Person" Explained
- Third Person in Grammar
- Examples of Third Person Pronouns in Different Cases
- First, Second, and Third Person Pronouns
- Why the Third Person Is Important
- Video Lesson
- Printable Test

"Third Person" Explained
"Third person" most commonly appears in the phrases "third-person narrative," "to write in the third person," and "third-party (or -person) insurance."- Third Person Narrative. A third-person narrative is a story told using the pronouns "he," "she," "it," or "they" or using nouns. In other words, the story is not told from a personal perspective. A third-person narrative contrasts with a first-person narrative, which is a story told from a personal perspective using the pronoun "I" (and sometimes "we").
- To Write in the Third Person. "To write in the third person" means to use nouns or the pronouns "he," "she," "it," or "they." It is common in business writing.
- Third Party Insurance. Third-party insurance protects against the claims of others. Look at the following sentence: I (the first party) am ensured by you, the insurer (the second party), to protect me against them (the third party).
Third Person in Grammar
The personal pronouns ("I," "you," "he," "she," "it," "we," "they") are grouped into one of three categories:- First person: "I" and "we"
- Second person: "you"
- Third person: "He/She/It" and "They"

Examples of Third Person Pronouns in Different Cases
Here are the third person pronouns in the subjective case, the objective case, and the possessive case:Person | Subjective Case | Objective Case | Possessive Case Possessive Determiner | Possessive Case Possessive Pronouns |
---|---|---|---|---|
Third Person Singular | he / she / it Example: He is not happy. |
him / her / it Example: We saw him. |
his / her / its Example: We were her support. |
his / hers / its These were hers. |
Third Person Plural | they Example: They are leaving. |
them Example: We like them. |
their Example: We were their allies. |
theirs These are theirs. |
- Masculine gender: He, him, his
- Feminine gender: She, her, hers
- Neuter gender: It, its
First, Second, and Third Person Pronouns
The table below shows the first, second, and third person pronouns. The third person pronouns are shaded.Person | Subjective Case | Objective Case | Possessive Case Possessive Determiner | Possessive Case Possessive Pronouns |
---|---|---|---|---|
First Person Singular | I | me | my | mine |
Second Person Singular | you | you | your | yours |
Third Person Singular | he/she/it | him/her/it | his/her/its | his/hers/its |
First Person Plural | we | us | our | ours |
Second Person Plural | you | you | your | yours |
Third Person Plural | they | them | their | theirs |
(Reason 1) Understanding the person categories is useful for learning a foreign language.
The vast majority of teachers and reference books use the person categories to explain how grammar works (particularly verbs). Therefore, understanding terms like "first person singular" and "third person plural" is useful when learning a foreign language. Here are some examples of how the person categories appear in language books:Person | English | German | French | Spanish |
---|---|---|---|---|
First Person Singular | I play | ich spiele | je joue | yo juego |
Second Person Singular | you play | du spielst | tu joues | tu juegas |
Third Person Singular | he/she/it plays | er/sie/es spielt | il/elle joue | el/ella/usted juega |
First Person Plural | we play | wir spielen | nous jouons | nosotros jugamos |
Second Person Plural | you play | ihr spielt | vous jouez | vosotros jagais |
Third Person Plural | they play | Sie spielen | ils/ells jouent | ellos/ellas/ustedes juegan |
(Reason 2) Using the third person presents a formal air.
When talking about yourself, using the third person presents a formal air. For example:- Avro Corps will handle your complaint within 48 hours.
- We will handle your complaint within 48 hours.
(Reason 3) Using the third person for storytelling can make you seem all-knowing.
Using the third person in storytelling can portray the author as all-knowing. By using the third person, an author can highlight failings and raise observations about their characters from a judge- or God-like position. As a result, the reader will not consider the author's limitations when learning about the characters, only the characters' limitations. Therefore, if a character makes a basic mistake or says something stupid, the author can judge it without being tarnished by it.So, while writing in the first person can be engaging, writing in the third person affords the author considerable freedoms. Read more about writing in the first person.
- In business, write in the first person for a personal touch.
- When writing fiction, write in the first person to engage your audience quickly.
- Don't say or write "between you and I"...ever.
(Reason 4) The third-person possessive determiner "its" not "it's."
The contraction "it's" means "it is" or "it has."The neuter possessive determiner is "its." It is not "it's."
It is a grammatical howler to confuse "it's" and its." Read more about "its" and "it's." Watch a video summarizing "grammatical person" (i.e., first person, second person, and third person)
Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos.
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