1.03 Crafting a Voice

Writing Exercises

Read the passage below from Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima.

"The truck lurched down the goat path, over the bridge and swung south toward El Puerto. I watched carefully all that we left behind. We passed Rosie's house and at the clothesline right at the edge of the cliff there was a young girl hanging out brightly colored garments. She was soon lost in the furrow of dust the truck raised."

Now, use your mouse to select the words or phrases that provide specific detail and contribute to the power of the passage. When you hover your mouse over such a word or phrase, the selection will turn green.

Exercise

What if the third sentence in the passage above were changed to: We passed Rosie's house and saw a girl hanging clothes out to dry. Type your answer to the question in the text area below, then check your answer by clicking the Check Answer button.

Type your answer here...

 

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Voice

Read the passage below.

Mama said that you could never teach old dogs new tricks. She had a saying for everything. I used to listen to her for hours on end as we'd sit on the knotted wood swing in Hackleburg, AL. The trees would grow so big there. They must have been over one hundred years old by the looks of all the circles in the wood. One tree by the swing stood tall and proud with its branches protruding outwardly. The deep blue sky it was under held my attention while the clouds showed me their picture books. I liked to put names with all of the faces they showed me. That way I had many different kinds of friends with all of the names I loved. A singsong sound played each time we'd go back and forth on the swing. All it needed was some WD40, but we never managed to oil the chains. Somehow the sound was as much a part of our lives as the crickets that rubbed their legs together each night.

Does the author convey his or her voice? How does the reader know? What can be inferred about the author of this piece? See answer. The author provides rich details by using specific word choice or diction. The author is appealing to the reader's senses in this passage.

Now, read the next passage.

When teaching a dog to jump through a hoop, make sure you let your dog get used to the hoop first. Then, place the hoop on the ground. Have someone help you hold the hoop on the floor in front of the dog. Call your dog, or lure him, through the hoop. Give the dog a treat as he walks through the hoop.

Does the author convey his or her voice? How does the reader know? What can be inferred about the author of this piece? See answer. This is an informative selection without specific details.

Both passages were written by the same author. There are two distinct voices because there are two different purposes of writing. The first passage is to entertain and describe; the second passage is to inform.

 

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