https://docs.google.com/document/d/18g7Wa6qitXB9rN…
One requirement of Engl-1A is to learn about voice, style, audience, and purpose. This page will explain what each of those things are.
Voice
Think of your writing voice as your writing “personality”. Each writer’s voice is distinct and unique, like a fingerprint.
Your voice is expressed through your tone and style of writing.
Tone
Tone can…
- be formal or informal
- convey different moods/emotions/attitudes: optimistic, cynical, confident, unsure, excited, depressed, etc.
Take a look at the example messages below. Which one sounds formal? Which ones sound informal? What moods/emotions/attitudes do you sense in each message?
- hey professor, i can’t come to class today coz im sick.
- Dear Professor Stevens, I am writing to inform you that I will be unable to attend class today.
- Jack, I got your wedding invitation. Sounds like it will be a fun wedding, but it’s too far for me to drive and too expensive to get a hotel.
- Hi Jack, Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Although it is quite far from me, it’s a very special event, so I will do my best to make it!
Style
An author’s style is expressed in different ways, such as…
- Sentence length: do they write long or short sentences?
- Vocabulary: Are their sentences filled with academic words or everyday words?
- Type of writing: Are they narrating, persuading, explaining, describing, etc.
- First, second, or third person:
- first person=I,
- second person=you,
- third person=everybody else–he, she, they, people, etc.
Writers use different styles to achieve different effects. For instance, which “person” does each of these sentences use? How is the effect different?
- Students will receive their grades by tomorrow.
- You will receive a grade by tomorrow.
- I will send out grades by tomorrow.
Audience
Your audience is who you are writing for–your readers. Subconsciously, you modify your tone and style depending on who your audience is.
For example, let’s say you were planning to meet up with your professor, one of your relatives, and a blind date (someone you’d never met). But, you have to cancel all your meetings, and you text each of them to let them know. How would you change your wording based on your audience?
Here’s another scenario: Let’s say you are scheduled to give a presentation on your most favorite topic of all. You have to give the presentation 3 times: once to a kindergarten class, once to a high school class, and once to a college class. How would you modify the presentation for each audience?
As you can see, audience matters. If you don’t consider your audience, your audience might not be able to connect with you. You might not be able to get your point across.
Purpose
Your purpose (reason) for writing affects everything else–what tone, and style you use, what audience you target, the length of your writing, and more.
Here are some example purposes for writing:
- To explain a complex topic, like climate change
- To persuade people to change their minds on a controversial topic, like gun control
- To inform people about a new policy at work
- To investigate reasons why people believe what they believe (like Robert Leonard did)
- To research a topic you don’t know much about
- To summarize a class reading
- To report on breaking news
- To narrate a scary story
- To recount the details of your last party
Every college writing assignment will have a different purpose. It’s crucial to know what the purpose is before you start writing.
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