Point of View | Answer Keys

Student Concept Worksheet Answers

Question	Answer
1	In the omniscient version, readers know that Tanya has been planning the party for three weeks and is excited, that Dad is panicking because he forgot to hide his car, and that Marcus didn't notice the car. Marcus doesn't know any of this.
2	First person. Evidence: Uses "I" ("I walked into the house"), only reveals Marcus's thoughts, can't show what Tanya and Dad are thinking/feeling internally.
3	Because Marcus is the narrator and can only tell us HIS thoughts. In first-person POV, the narrator cannot access other characters' private thoughts - they can only observe and guess.
4	A. The omniscient version - because we know Dad's worry is unnecessary Readers know Marcus didn't see the car, but Dad doesn't know this. This creates dramatic irony - we know his panic is unfounded.
5	First-person POV works well for mysteries because the reader discovers clues and solves the case ALONG WITH the narrator. If we knew everything (omniscient), there would be no mystery. Limited access creates suspense.

Practice Worksheet Answers

Question	Answer
1	B. Third-person limited Uses "she" but only reveals Mia's thoughts. We see her internal dialogue but cannot access the interviewer's thoughts.
2	We only have access to Mia's thoughts. We don't know what the interviewer is thinking, what the other boy is thinking, or anything that happens when Mia isn't present. Omniscient would reveal multiple characters' thoughts.
3	B. Nothing - we only know what Mia observes and thinks
4	The limited POV creates tension because we share Mia's anxiety and uncertainty. We don't know how the interview will go, just like Mia doesn't. When the interviewer compliments her essay, we're surprised along with Mia.
5	No, the passage doesn't prove the other boy is more qualified - this is Mia's assumption. The author includes this to show how limited POV reflects characters' biases and insecurities. Mia assumes he's confident, but we don't actually know what he's thinking or how his interview goes.
6	Two pieces of evidence: 1) We hear Jason's thoughts ("She must be mad at me") AND Emma's thoughts ("I should text Jason"). 2) We see Jason's scene (staring at his phone) AND Emma's scene (at the hospital), even though they're in different locations.
7	B. Readers know Emma's true situation and feelings, but Jason doesn't We know Emma is at the hospital caring for her grandmother and still values Jason's friendship. Jason mistakenly believes she's ignoring him.
8	We feel frustrated, sympathetic, or anxious because we know Jason is completely wrong. The flowers are from the HOSPITAL (for her grandmother), not a fun outing. We want to tell Jason the truth. This emotional tension is created by the dramatic irony.
9	If told only from Jason's POV, we wouldn't know: that Emma is at the hospital, that her phone is dead (not that she's ignoring him), that she's been caring for her grandmother, or that she tells her grandmother Jason is "the best." The reading experience would change because we'd share Jason's misunderstanding instead of feeling the dramatic irony of knowing the truth.
10	C. First person
11	Evidence of unreliability: 1) The narrator's volcano made a judge "look kind of sick" (suggesting a problem they dismiss). 2) They describe Kenji's work dismissively while admitting his data was "scientifically significant." 3) The hesitation "Which I definitely found. Probably" shows self-doubt. 4) The narrator blames judges, mom, and "nobody" for not understanding, rather than considering they might have lost fairly.
12	According to the narrator's own description, Kenji's project involved: measuring plants over two months (systematic data collection), data that judges called "scientifically significant" (real scientific merit), and consistent methodology. The narrator's project was admittedly "complicated, expensive, and fragile" with smell issues. Kenji's project demonstrated better scientific process.
13	B. We see their personality flaws through their own words without them realizing it The narrator reveals arrogance, inability to accept criticism, and jealousy while thinking they're just telling us what happened. First-person POV allows characters to reveal themselves unintentionally.
14	Both passages create situations where readers know more than the main character, but in different ways. In Passage 2 (omniscient), readers know Emma's true situation while Jason is in the dark - we have more information. In Passage 3 (first person), readers understand the narrator's flaws (arrogance, unreliability) while the narrator doesn't seem aware of them. Omniscient gives readers MORE facts; first-person can give readers MORE insight into character than the character has about themselves.

FAST Format Quiz Answers

Question	Answer
1	C. Third-person omniscient We access thoughts from Lily ("They'll say it's a waste"), her mother's dialogue and actions, and both parents' private conversation.
2	B. Readers know Lily's parents support her art, while Lily fears they won't
3	B. It makes readers feel frustrated that Lily doesn't see what we see - her parents' love
4	B. The dramatic irony of knowing her parents support her First-person from Lily would only show her fears. We'd be surprised by the gift instead of anticipating it.
5	C. First person
6	C. "I watched some of Maya's old competitions... to understand her weaknesses. Which I definitely found. Probably." The hedging "definitely... Probably" reveals the narrator's uncertainty even while they try to sound confident. This self-contradiction suggests unreliability.
7	See rubric and sample response below.
8	B. That the narrator's fear and insecurity are driving their hostility toward Maya
9	A. "The Secret" uses omniscient POV to show love Lily can't see; "The Competition" uses first person to reveal flaws the narrator can't see
10	See rubric and sample response below.

Question 7 Scoring Rubric (Character Flaws Through POV)

Score	Criteria
2	Identifies specific character flaws (jealousy, arrogance, insecurity), explains how first-person reveals these, AND provides textual evidence
1	Identifies flaws OR explains first-person effect, but not both with strong evidence
0	Does not address character flaws or POV effect, or provides no relevant evidence

Sample 2-Point Response for Question 7:
The first-person POV reveals the narrator's flaws because they describe events in ways that unintentionally expose their character. For example, when the narrator calls Maya's kindness (bringing orange slices, congratulating others) "annoying," readers can see the narrator's jealousy even though they think they're just stating facts. The narrator dismisses Kenji's compliments from Coach as "whatever" and claims "one good practice doesn't mean anything" - but these defenses reveal insecurity, not confidence. The narrator doesn't realize they're showing us their fear of losing, but readers can see it clearly.

Question 10 Scoring Rubric (POV and Reader Knowledge)

Score	Criteria
2	Clearly identifies one key difference in reader knowledge, explains HOW POV creates this difference, AND uses specific details from both passages
1	Identifies a difference but explanation is unclear, OR only references one passage
0	Does not identify differences in reader knowledge or does not connect to POV

Sample 2-Point Response for Question 10:
The key difference is WHAT KIND of knowledge readers gain. In "The Secret," the omniscient POV gives readers factual knowledge that Lily lacks - we literally know her parents are supportive because we hear their private conversation and see the gift being prepared. In "The Competition," the first-person POV gives readers insight into the narrator's character that the narrator lacks - we can see they're insecure and jealous, even though they think they're just competitive. Both passages create situations where readers understand more than characters, but omniscient gives us external facts while first-person reveals internal flaws.

Quick Reference: POV Types