Developing a Character's Voice (Grade 8 FLE)

Developing Character's Voice

​First Language English

Multiple Choice

What emotion can be drawn out from this passage?

"I don't know, you?"

• Uncertainty

• Authority

• Fear

• Annoyance

Multiple Choice

How about on this line?

"I don't know you!"

• Assertiveness

• Confusion

• Surprised

• Sadness

• the use of a question mark at the end indicates uncertainty and prompts a response

• Exclamation marks indicate assertive tone

Question Marks and Exclamation Marks

​She is there!
Is she there?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following lines assume that the answer should be evident, adding personality and attitude to the dialogue?

• Well, maybe.

• I suppose so.

• Obviously, why woudn't I?

• Absolutely, of course!

Word Cloud

Which word on this passage adds a sarcastic tone to the dialogue?

"Obviously, why wouldn't I?"

Multiple Choice

Which line creates a minimal insight about the character's voice?

• "She sauntered into the dimly lit room, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor."

• "She walked into the room."

• "She trods into the room quietly."

• "She glides into the gloomy room as her shoe mimics a swift dance of curtains."

Multiple Choice

What does the example using figurative language, "The wind howled like a banshee, tearing through the trees," demonstrate?

• Similes and metaphors can make descriptions more confusing for readers.

• Figurative language adds unnecessary complexity to a narrative.

• Descriptions should focus solely on visual details, excluding other senses.

• Figurative language enhances descriptions by creating vivid and expressive images.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements best reflects the idea of providing descriptions in passages?

• Detailed descriptions are unnecessary and can overwhelm readers with too much information.

• Vivid and detailed descriptions contribute to a more immersive and engaging narrative.

• Simple and straightforward descriptions are always preferable to complex and detailed ones.

• Figurative language should be avoided as it confuses readers about the actual events in the story.

Details and Descriptions in Dialogues

• basic description provides limited insight into the character

• the use of figurative languages and vivid description provides a more immersive experience, offering insights into both the character's words and actions.

​Example:
"I'm not sure about this," he mumbled, glancing around the room nervously.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence sounds detached and less immersive?

• She thought the room was too cold.

• The room sent shivers down her spine

Multiple Choice

What feeling can be drawn out from this line?

As she stepped into the room, a wave of cold air enveloped her, sending shivers down her spine.

• coldness

• discomfort

• relaxation

• unwanted

• evokes a stronger emotional response, allowing the reader to feel the character's discomfort and creating a more vivid and engaging image.

"The room sent shivers down her spine."

• the verb "thought" creates a distance between the character and the reader.

• reporting the character's observation rather than inviting the reader to experience it.

"She thought the room was too cold."

Analyze:

Consistent Viewpoint

Original: She stood in the room and thought it was too cold. The air felt chilly, making her uncomfortable.

Revised: As she stepped into the room, a wave of cold air enveloped her, sending shivers down her spine. The icy atmosphere made her uncomfortable, each breath feeling like a frosty caress on her skin. The room's temperature seemed to seep into her bones, and she couldn't shake off the sensation of being in a freezer.

• Engage the senses

• Establish character connection

• Create an atmosphere

Multiple Choice

Read and answer the question:

He never made it 'cos of injuries. I mean, I feel for him but it's my life, isn't it? I know Mum gets it, but Dad-- he reckons I'm the next Big Thing. Well, I'm not, but what can I tell him?

How would you describe the writer's voice based on these sentences?

• Annoyed and irritated

• Chatty yet thoughtful

• Joyful and positive

• Agonizing and in pain

Why chatty yet thoughtful?

• Focus on the words "cos", "I mean" Well"--chatty tone

• Thoughtful/ Uncertain (Why do you think it consists of series of questions?)

​He never made it 'cos of injuries. I mean, I feel for him but it's my life, isn't it? I know Mum gets it, but Dad-- he reckons I'm the next Big Thing. Well, I'm not, but what can I tell him?

Voice can be conveyed by both vocabulary and the type of sentence the writer uses.

​Vocabulary or Sentence Type	Effect​	Example​
​	​sounds like the way a teenager speaks or write	​"''cos", reckons, ain't
​questions	​suggest uncertainty	"...what can I tell him?"​
​short simple sentences	a change of tone or to sum up feelings​	​"I don't know."
​compound sentences	​to link or explain two actions or feelings	​"I went to school, so I could face the result of our exam."
​complex sentences	​to explore or develop a view or a feeling	​"I'm going to tell Dad tonight that I'm giving up football, even though he would be upset."

Multiple Choice

Read the passage and answer this.

Which of the highlighted sentence is a simple sentence?

• Sentence 1

• Sentence 2

• Sentence 3

• Sentence 4

Multiple Choice

Read the passage and answer this.

Which of the highlighted sentence is a command?

• Sentence 1

• Sentence 2

• Sentence 3

• Sentence 4

Multiple Choice

Read the passage and answer this.

Which of the highlighted sentence sums up the children's mood?

• Sentence 1

• Sentence 2

• Sentence 3

• Sentence 4

Multiple Choice

Read the passage and answer this.

Which of the highlighted sentence explains why the children wanted to hide?

• Sentence 1

• Sentence 2

• Sentence 3

• Sentence 4

Multiple Choice

Read the passage and answer this.

Which of the highlighted sentence tells us how Molly speaks to her sisters?

• Sentence 1

• Sentence 2

• Sentence 3

• Sentence 4

Poll

Read these two sentences:

a. Grace wondered what they would do if they were stopped by the police. She often had daydreams like this. She knew Molly found it frustrating.

b. Grace wondered what they would do if they were stopped by the police; she often had daydreams like this--Molly, she knew, found it frustrating.

Which sentence sounds clumsy and uninteresting?

• Sentence A

• Sentence B

Grace wondered what they would do if they were stopped by the police; she often had daydreams like this--Molly, she knew, found it frustrating.

• Parenthetical Punctuation (pairs of commas, dashes or brackets) adds information, detail or opinion

• Semicolons link ideas

Let's Practice!

Multiple Choice

Using a parenthetical comma, turn this sentence into single sentence.

Molly made them all climb the banksia tree. She was used to getting her own way.

• Molly made them all climb the banksia tree; she was used to getting her own way.

• Molly made them all climb the banksia tree, was used to getting her own way.

• Molly, who made them all climb the banksia tree, was used to getting her own way.

• Molly made them all climb the banksia tree, she was used to getting her own way.

Open Ended

Using a parenthetical comma, turn this sentence into single sentence.

Danny writes a diary. His dad writes a diary as well.

Open Ended

Add or correct the punctuation in the give sentence. Consider using exclamation or question marks, ellipses (...), colons or semicolons (: or ;)

The olive grove was just as how she had imagined it. Was she dreaming. Could it be true. After all these years. Surely someone must have maintained it. But who.

Open Ended

Add or correct the punctuation in the give sentence. Consider using exclamation or question marks, ellipses (...), colons or semicolons (: or ;)

She hesitated and then opened the door very slightly, keeping the chain on it.

EXIT TICKET

Open Ended

"How does a character's voice help us understand them and the story better?"