Guitarra

I have got really confused about the differences between; 1st person, 2nd person and 3rd.
Does it still count as 1st person if it's past tense?
Eg: I ran to the supermarket.

Could someone elaborate on my question?

Thanks

Sceadlic

Tense does not matter. As in any isolated sentence, persons only indicate whether, say, the subject of a sentence refers to the person who is speaking/writing, spoken to/written to or an (aptly named) third person.
To use the past tense means that you are writing a retrospective narrative, whether it's first, third or second person.
I think.

Fegaril

Here are a few categories of different narratives:

1st person narrator: The readers only learn what the narrator feels, thinks, knows and experiences through the five (six?) senses. Sometimes, a 1st person narrator can be deceptive or unreliable, leading the readers off track and, as in real life, only giving a subjective account of an event. An example: "I climbed out of the rubble, feeling quite numb and nauseous, but I rescued the woman valiantly by going back into the building."

2nd person narrator: This is a rarely used narrator, and it can be the main character speaking to himself or herself. "When you were young, you should have acted differently, perhaps trying to attract a bit more attention to yourself. That would have made you the star of the class."

3rd person narrator: There are three main variants of this narrator:
Omniscient narrator:: The omniscient narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of every character, and there are no secrets that the narrator doesn't know. Example: "Mikey was sitting in the back of the room with a freakish look on his face because he was thinking about his uncle's recent death. Laura saw his tormented face and considered talking to him, but didn't as her classmates would lose all respect for her."
Objective narrator: The objective narrator knows only about the actions of the characters and the surroundings. Think of it as a camera observing people without commenting on the thoughts and feelings of the characters. Example: "Mikey touched his temples, massaging them, looking quite depressed. Laura glanced at him, getting a thoughful look on her face before shaking her head and going back to her friends."
Restricted narrator: The restricted narrator knows the thoughts, feelings and knowledge of a single character whereas the omniscient narrator can comment on all characters' feelings and thoughts. "Mikey felt sick, yet he knew that nobody had any knowledge of his uncle's death because he had no friends."

Mike C

You've left one out - 4th person absent: Story told from the POV of one who, slightly inebriated, left early and therefore didn't have much idea of what really happened.

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lisajane

I've not heard of 4th person before. Would that be like if a minor character dies at the beginning of the novel and tells the story as he or she sees it after their death? Or another example?

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Kane

Would still be first person.

valeca

I believe, for the most part, Mike was joking with his example. There is, however, a reference to Fourth Person here.

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Banzai

Isn't "one should be prepared" just another version of 2nd person, using "one" instead of "you"?

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aspiring

*snigger*

Mike C

You can also add maybe 5th person virtual, who describes the event as seen on YouTube.

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valeca

Not really. You could also substitute 'I' for 'one' and make it first person. By using 'one', it includes the 'I', as well as the 'You', 'We', 'He', 'She', 'They', 'Everyone', etc.

'One' is a sort of universal that can include 1st, 2nd, and 3rd persons.

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Banzai

Oh, I see. Thanks valeca

__________________
"Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you"
-"The Wasteland" by T.S. Elliot