6+1 Traits of Writing
Ideas
Organisation
Voice
Sentence Fluency
Word Choice
Conventions
Presentation
Voice
What is voice?
How can we define voice?
How can you identify it?
Why is it important?
Definition of Voice
The golden thread that runs through a piece of writing
Sparkling, confident, unquestionably individual
Voice is the writer’s passion for the topic coming through
loud and clear.
It’s what keeps us turning the pages...
...what writer’s use to assert their own way of looking at
an idea
Identifying Voice
Has the writer:
• Got something important to say
• Created drawings that are expressive
• Found new ways of expressing familiar ideas
• Captured a range of emotions, from gleeful to poignant to
frightened
• Offered sincere thoughts
• Confidence that what they say matters
• Demonstrated an awareness of audience
• Taken risks and tried something that no class mate has tried
before
• Applied original thinking
Voice
Voice is the writer’s music coming through the
words
The sense that a real person is speaking and
cares about the message
It is the heart and soul of the writing, the magic,
the wit, the feeling, the life and breath.
Despite what Dorothea has said
about the sun scorched land
you've never really loved her
nor sought to make her grand
you pollute all the rivers
and litter every road
your barbaric graffiti
cut scars where tall trees grow
the beaches and the mountains
are covered with your shame
injustice rules supremely
despite your claims to fame
the mud polluted rivers
are fenced off from the gaze
of travellers and the thirsty
for foreign hooves to graze
a tyranny now rules your soul
to your own image blind
a callousness and uncouth ways
now hallmarks of your kind
Australia oh Australia
you could stand proud and free
we weep in bitter anguish
at your hate and tyranny
the scarred black bodies writhing
humanity locked in chains
land theft and racial murder
you boast on of your gains
in woodchip and uranium
the anguished death you spread
will leave the children of the land
a heritage that's dead
Australia oh Australia
you could stand tall and free
we weep in bitter anguish
at your hate and tyranny.
Naplan Analysis
• What does the Naplan marking guide say
about Voice?
• Analyse this year’s Naplan writing with voice
in mind.
Teaching Voice
Students need to be able to identify voice in
written texts before they are asked to create
their own.
• Include lots of texts, picture story books are
an excellent resource as well as student
samples.
• Discuss what voice sounds like in texts,
excited, fearful, anxious, informative etc.
• Knowing the purpose for writing is important
in order to choose the right voice.
• Provide opportunities for students to try on
different voices, text message to a friend,
thank you letter to Grandma, letter of
complaint/apology etc.
At the heart of every good sentence is
a strong, precise verb; the converse
is true as well--at the core of most
confusing, awkward, or wordy
sentences lies a weak verb.
Active and Passive Voice
In the active voice, the subject does something
to some person or thing.
In the passive voice, the subject receives the
action. The passive voice is made up of a form
of the verb to be plus the past participle of the
main verb.
• Converting sentences to active voice
• Here are some tips and strategies for converting
sentences from the passive to the active voice.
• Look for a "by" phrase (e.g., "by the dog" in the last
example above). If you find one, the sentence may be
in the passive voice. Rewrite the sentence so that the
subject buried in the "by" clause is closer to the
beginning of the sentence.
• If the subject of the sentence is somewhat anonymous,
see if you can use a general term, such as
"researchers," or "the study," or "experts in this field."
• Active vs. passive voice
• In a sentence written in the active voice, the subject of sentence
performs the action. In a sentence written in the passive voice the
subject receives the action.
• Active: The candidate believes that Congress must place a ceiling on
the budget.
• Passive: It is believed by the candidate that a ceiling must be placed
on the budget by Congress.
• Active: Researchers earlier showed that high stress can cause heart
attacks.
• Passive: It was earlier demonstrated that heart attacks can be
caused by high stress.
• Active: The dog bit the man.
• Passive: The man was bitten by the dog.
Active and Passive Voice
• Beautiful giraffes roam the savannah. (active)
The savannah is roamed by beautiful giraffes. (passive)
• Sue changed the flat tyre. (active)
The flat tyre was changed by Sue. (passive)
• We are going to watch a movie tonight. (active)
A movie is going to be watched by us tonight. (passive)
• I ran the obstacle course in record time. (active)
The obstacle course was run by me in record time. (passive)
• The crew paved the entire stretch of highway. (active)
The entire stretch of highway was paved by the crew. (passive)
• Mom read the novel in one day. (active)
The novel was read by Mom in one day. (passive)
• The critic wrote a scathing review. (active)
A scathing review was written by the critic. (passive)
• I will clean the house every Saturday. (active)
The house will be cleaned by me every Saturday. (passive)
• The staff is required to watch a safety video every year. (active)
A safety video will be watched by the staff every year. (passive)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
When to use passive voice
There are sometimes good reasons to use the passive voice.
To emphasize the action rather than the actor
After long debate, the proposal was endorsed by the long-range planning
committee.
To keep the subject and focus consistent throughout a passage
The data processing department recently presented what proved to be a
controversial proposal to expand its staff. After long debate, the proposal
was endorsed by . . . .
To be tactful by not naming the actor
The procedures were somehow misinterpreted.
To describe a condition in which the actor is unknown or unimportant
Every year, thousands of people are diagnosed as having cancer.
To create an authoritative tone
• Visitors are not allowed after 9:00 p.m.