The comment: Be specific
THE COMMENT: Be specific
SIMILAR COMMENTS: Need examples • Evidence?
understanding the comment When readers say that you need to “be specific,” the comment often signals that you could strengthen your writing with additional details.
strategies for revising
- Reread your topic sentence to understand the focus of the paragraph. (See 3a.)
- Ask questions. Does the paragraph contain claims that need support? Have you provided evidence—specific examples, vivid details and illustrations, statistics and facts—to help readers understand your ideas and find them persuasive? (See 5e.)
- Interpret your evidence. Remember that details and examples don’t speak for themselves. You’ll need to show readers how evidence supports your claims. (See 4d and 5e.)