Voice in Writing

Voice in Writing
One of the Six Traits of Writing
Working with Voice

Voice is Personality!
⇨Voice in writing lets the personality shine through.
⇨You adjust your voice depending on your
audience and purpose.

Here is a rubric for voice in writing from kimskorner4teachertalk.com.

Rating of 5 (Strong):

The paper shows the writer's personality. The writer has written the paper to be read, not just as an assignment. There is a connection between the writer and the reader.

	The paper is honest and sincere; it is written from the heart.
	The language helps the reader "see" what is happening in the writing.
	The writer shows his feelings and emotions in the paper.
	The writer cares about the topic.
	The reader gets a real sense of humor, sadness, happiness, suspense, excitement, etc. from the writing.

Rating of 3 (Developing):

The paper has some personality, but the reader has a hard time connecting with the writer. The writing may sound familiar, not really new or unique.

	The paper has some moments of honesty and sincerity.
	The voice may be strong on occasion, then hide behind general language that isn't very specific.
	The writing hides as much of the writer's personality as it shows.
	The writer seems afraid to show how he really feels.
	The reader only sometimes gets a sense of humor, sadness, happiness, suspense, excitement, etc. from the writing.

Rating of 1 (Weak):

The paper has no personality. It sounds like an encyclopedia article, with only the facts. The writer seems to have no feelings about the topic.

	The reader cannot sense any sincerity or honesty in the paper. The reader has no connection to the writer.
	The writing is not very exciting throughout most of the paper. There are no highs or lows.
	The writing is factual and does not cause the reader to feel anything about the topic.
	The writer doesn't seem to care about the topic at all.