A person wearing a baseball cap from behind, looking out over a city.

Point of view

A person wearing a baseball cap from behind, looking out over a city.
Photo by Ahmed Syed

‘It’s the strangest thing.’

‘What is?’

‘Henry. He says he can’t talk about himself except in the third person.’

‘Third person?’

He, him.’

‘It’s a pronoun thing?’

“No, it’s a point of view.’

‘That’s your point of view.’

‘Ah! He says he’s glad you said you. Second person is a step in the right direction.’

‘Why can’t he say you?’

‘He says he can’t say anything except through indirect speech. He can’t say-’

‘Eye?’

‘Aye. He’s making progress, he says.’


Would you like to know more about this story? I discuss it in Episode 113 of Structured Visions. You can also sign up to the Grammar for Dreamers newsletter to get monthly updates on the ideas that inspire my work.