Have you noticed students unintentionally picking up the writing style of what they read?
I've been wondering whether this is something English teachers notice over time.
When students spend a lot of time reading articles, essays, or books, do you find that their own writing gradually starts to mirror the sentence flow or phrasing of those texts?
I'm not talking about direct copying. More like students absorbing a particular style without realizing it.
I've noticed that many people struggle to recognize these patterns in their own writing because everything sounds normal when they're reading their own draft. I've even suggested doing one extra review with quetext before finalizing a draft, since it sometimes makes repeated phrasing easier to notice It only becomes obvious after someone else points it out.
Do you have any classroom strategies or editing exercises that help students develop their own writing voice while still learning from strong examples?
I'd be interested to hear what has worked in your experience.