© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Chapter 8 – Voice © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Opening Activity Voice is an important part of adopting a particular writerly personality. Think about and discuss the following: What types of voices do you use in your everyday life? How do you express those voices? What choices do you make when you purposely adopt a certain voice in a particular situation? © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
© 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Learning Outcomes By the time you finish reading and studying this chapter, you should be able to: LO1 Read for voice. LO2 Write with voice. LO3 Read for word choice and sentences. LO4 Write with specific words and strong sentences. lightpoet, 2014/Used under license from Shutterstock.com © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Reading for Voice Authors choose to adopt particular voices in their writing based on purpose and audience. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Writing with Voice Personal voice sounds somewhat like a conversation and is often used in narrative writing. Common features of personal voice are: First-person point of view Personal thoughts and feelings Easy-reading sentences Familiar words Pressmaster, 2014/Used under license from Shutterstock.com © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Writing with Voice Academic voice sounds serious and somewhat formal. Common features of academic voice are: Third-person point of view Fact and details rather than personal thoughts or feelings Longer, more complex sentences Special words and phrases to show subject knowledge Credit given to sources of information No informal contractions, slangs and familiar sayings Romas_Photo, 2014 /Used under license from Shutterstock.com © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Writing with Voice To help yourself develop a writing voice: © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Reading for Word Choice and Sentences Thinking about how a writer expresses his or her ideas through word choice and sentences enhances your understanding of, and appreciation for, a reading. Texts Word Choice Sentences Academic Content-specific words Long and complex; sometimes contains many ideas Personal Recognizable words Simpler, easier to follow, moving along more quickly; more variety in length and structure © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Writing with Specific Words and Strong Sentences Keep the following in mind when writing: When Choosing Words Specific words or nouns are usually better than general ones. Fresh, descriptive words trump over-used ones. To Communicate Clearly Avoid using adjectives that are too general. Do not connect too many adjectives. Do not use the same words again and again. Do not use too many “be” verbs. Use action verbs instead. Use words correctly. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Writing with Specific Words and Strong Sentences In addition to knowing sentence basics, you should also check your sentences for style. You should: Eliminate short, choppy sentences by combining some ideas. Vary your sentence beginnings and lengths. Change passive verbs to active verbs. © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Diego Cervo, 2014/Used under license from Shutterstock.com © 2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.