Section 02 — Voice & Style

Course: LBS 105 – Writing & Communication I

Learning Session

Explore These Materials: 1. Read (45 min) — George Orwell, “Politics and the English Language” (excerpts); Strunk & White, The Elements of Style (core rules).
2. Watch (45 min) — Style & Tone: Saying the Same Thing Differently; Nancy Duarte on shaping narrative (short talk).
3. Listen (30 min) — On Writing: A craft conversation with a journalist or essayist.
4. Reflect While Engaging — Highlight sentences whose voice you admire; annotate specific choices (verbs, rhythm, imagery).

Key Quote Box

“_____________”

Practice

1. Imitation Exercise — Rewrite a paragraph from a favorite author in your own words while keeping their cadence and structure.
2. Tone Shift — Take your paragraph and rewrite it for three audiences: a friend, an expert, and the general public.
3. Style Clinic — Edit a 300‑word piece down to 150 words; mark every deletion; note clarity gains.
4. Reflection — Define your natural voice. What choices (verbs, sentence length, imagery) express it?

Hard Problem (Optional)

Translate a technical paragraph (e.g., on climate change or cryptography) into a plain‑language brief that a 10‑year‑old can understand without losing accuracy.