third person

Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition

Noun 1. A grammatical category of pronouns and verbs: The set of words used to refer to someone or something that is neither the speaker (first person: I, we) nor the listener (second person: you). It indicates the person or thing being spoken about. 2. A narrative perspective: A style of storytelling where the narrator is not a character within the story and refers to all characters using third-person pronouns (e.g., he, she, it, they).

Examples
  • Grammatical Category:
    • In the sentence "She is reading a book," the word "She" is a third-person singular pronoun.
    • The verb "runs" in "He runs fast" is in the third-person singular present tense.
    • "The cat sleeps on the sofa." Here, "the cat" is referred to in the third person.
  • Narrative Perspective:
    • The novel was written from a third-person omniscient point of view, allowing the narrator to know every character's thoughts.
    • "He opened the door cautiously, unaware of the surprise waiting inside." This is an example of third-person limited narration.
Advanced Usage
  • Third-Person Effect: A communication theory where individuals believe that media messages have a greater effect on others (the "third persons") than on themselves.
  • Third-Person Singular '-s': In English present tense, verbs typically take an '-s' or '-es' ending when the subject is a third-person singular noun or pronoun (e.g., , , ).
Variants and Related Words
  • Third-personal (adjective): Relating to the third person. (Less common)
  • First person (noun): The grammatical category for the speaker ().
  • Second person (noun): The grammatical category for the listener ().
Synonyms
  • For narrative perspective: External narration, non-participant narration.
  • For grammatical category: There are no direct synonyms, but it can be described as the "he/she/it/they" category.
Related Phrases
  • In the third person: Describing an action where one refers to oneself using third-person pronouns (e.g., "A king does not run" instead of "I do not run").
    • The coach motivated himself by speaking in the third person: "Coach needs you to focus!"
  • Third-person narrative / point of view / perspective: Standard terms for this style of storytelling.
Related Idioms
  • To talk about oneself in the third person: To refer to oneself using pronouns like "he," "she," or one's own name, often perceived as unusual, formal, or egotistical.
    • After winning the award, the athlete started talking about himself in the third person during the interview.
Noun
  1. pronouns and verbs that are used to refer to something other than the speaker or addressee of the language in which they occur