Sustaining a Narrative Voice · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.
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Keeping one narrator's voice

English · Writing Composition · ages 15-16
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. A narrator usually says 'start' and uses plain words. With no reason for a change, a line says 'commence'. Which revision fits the established voice?

    • Add more formal words alongside 'commence'.
    • Keep 'commence' because formal wording improves any narrator.
    • Replace 'commence' with the familiar word 'start'.

  2. You are writing as a bus driver who notices routes and delays. What should guide the narrator's voice across this piece?

    • The driver's usual vocabulary and outlook across the piece
    • The writer's favourite phrases regardless of the driver
    • A different character's speech habits in each paragraph

  3. A narrator's actions and remarks can let readers infer a trait that the narrator does not recognise in themselves.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. A narrator says, 'He hides my bag every week, but he only means to be funny.' Which reading is best supported?

    • The narrator excuses a repeated act as intended humour.
    • The narrator enjoys having the bag hidden each week.
    • The narrator has confirmed the other person's private motive.

  5. A casual narrator quotes a formal letter, then returns to casual speech. Does the quoted wording by itself show an accidental voice slip?

    • Yes; every quotation must match the narrator's formality.
    • No; the formal wording belongs to the quoted letter.
    • Yes; formal words show that the writer has replaced the narrator.

  6. In this single-viewpoint close-third exercise, the narration can directly enter every character's private thoughts whenever it chooses.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. A plain-speaking narrator says, 'I gave the cart a hard push.' A later draft says, 'I propelled the cart with considerable force.' Which repair preserves the event and fits the established voice?

    • I gave the cart a gentle tap.
    • I pushed the cart with a lot of force.
    • I propelled the cart forcefully.

  8. A narrator insists, 'I never need anyone's approval.' Which added line gives readers evidence of a dependence the narrator does not acknowledge?

    • Other people wanted approval from their friends.
    • Approval was the theme I chose for my story.
    • I checked for her nod before each answer.
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Keeping one narrator's voice W1-mt_Lecl8HXETd-s1

  1. Replace 'commence' with the familiar word 'start'. · Using 'start' fits this narrator's established vocabulary and preserves the action's meaning.
  2. The driver's usual vocabulary and outlook across the piece · The voice should remain recognisable as the chosen narrator's way of sounding and seeing events.
  3. True · Readers can compare the narrator's claims with their behaviour and notice a gap the narrator misses.
  4. The narrator excuses a repeated act as intended humour. · The narrator reports a repeated act and explains it away as humour. The line does not establish the other person's motive or the narrator's enjoyment.
  5. No; the formal wording belongs to the quoted letter. · The letter supplies a reason for the formal wording. Its quoted voice does not by itself replace the narrator's own voice.
  6. False · This exercise follows one viewpoint. Other people's thoughts can be suggested or reported through a source, not entered directly without explanation.
  7. I pushed the cart with a lot of force. · The repair keeps the forceful push and uses plain words. A gentle tap changes the force; 'propelled' retains the vocabulary mismatch identified in the draft.
  8. I checked for her nod before each answer. · Checking for a nod before every answer suggests reliance on another person's approval, creating a gap with the narrator's claim.
Worksheet · LightMySky