Worksheet

2.8 Voice and role

Student Book Q1 We can tell a lot about people from what they say and how they say it. Work in
groups of four to read the statements from four people below. Who are they?
What is their role? How do we know?
Once you have shared your ideas, match the statement to the role and make sure
you can explain your match referring to the language being used for each one.

Naturally,
Why have I chosen this role?
Naturally, we
we were
were very
very proud
proud to
to see
see our
our
lad
lad up
up on
on stage.
stage. To
To think
think it
it was
was only
only two
two
actor Sunil …………………………………….
years
years ago
ago that
that he
he left
left home
home and
and started
started
his …………………………………….
his career. We took so many photos!
career. We took so many photos!
…………………………………….

I felt so nervous. Of course, we’d Why have I chosen this role?

rehearsed for
rehearsed for weeks
weeks but
but nothing
nothing prepares
prepares theatre reviewer …………………………………….
you for curtain up. Waiting in the wings
felt
felt like
like an
an eternity.
eternity. I
I didn’t
didn’t think
think it
it went
went …………………………………….
that well, to tell the truth. …………………………………….

Sunil Why have I chosen this role?

Sunil Vaswani’s
Vaswani’s landmark
landmark performance
performance inin
interviewer
the central role was a revelation. He …………………………………….
combined a
combined a certain
certain vulnerability
vulnerability and
and power
power …………………………………….
at the same time and spoke Shakespeare’s
verse …………………………………….
verse with
with clarity
clarity and
and control.
control.

Why have I chosen this role?

So, Sunil – this is your first major stage Sunil’s mum …………………………………….
role and it looks like you nailed it,
according to the reviews. Does this mean …………………………………….
you’ll be looking for parts in films soon?
…………………………………….

Student Book Q4 The following diary entry contains a mixture of past and present tense narrative.
As you read through, think about the reason for the changes and the impact it has
on the reader. Does this change the tone of the writing? Does it give us a clear
picture of the writer?

Day 1: preparing for the competition

Past tense Got up at 8 a.m. and went down to join all the other students for breakfast.
I’d made a sort of friend with a girl called Sonya last night – at least I
Past tense
thought I had, but this morning she ignored me and spent all breakfast with
her nose in a dictionary. This made me laugh.
Present Past tense
tense
If you don’t know the spellings by now, then you never will.
Key technical skills
Chapter 2

Mind you, I was so nervous I couldn’t eat anyway.

Breakfast just made me think of cooking-related spellings; ‘restaurant’

(remember the ‘au’!), ‘lasagne’, ‘cucumber’ (not ‘queue cumber’!!),

Present
and ‘temperature’ all kept on going through my head.
Past tense
tense Am I going mad? Is it all worth it? I was about to text Mum and Dad,
but then in came the organiser – a thin, severe looking man in a grey suit
Past
tense – and told us Round 1 was going to start in 10 minutes in the Main Hall.

© HarperCollins Publishers 2013 175