[PW] Re: Grammar question

[Andrew Warren]

Daphne Drewello wrote:

> Patron wants to know if there is a grammatical term for the
> following: 
> 
> A person pretends to be another person to show that person how she
> should have responded to a third person. 
> 
> Patron thinks the term is "third person" but I have problems with
> that.

Daphne:

If anything, it's "first person", not third.

The third-person point of view is the omniscient one; third-person
narratives use pronouns like "he" and "she", and most novels are written
in that form.

Second-person is the imperative form; the pronoun is "you", and it's
rare (outside the realm of cookbooks and other how-to books) to see it
used in print... But if you're giving someone instructions, you might
find the second-person form most natural.  For example, "When someone
asks you a question that you can't answer, tell them you don't know but
you'll find out and get back to them as soon as possible."

First-person is from the "I" point of view: "Let's say I'm a reference
librarian and I'm asked a question I can't answer.  I say, 'I don't
know... Lemme ask the Project Wombat list.'"

-Andrew

=== Andrew Warren  - awarren at synaptics.com
=== Synaptics, Inc - Santa Clara, CA