You can use amplification to expand the scope of a point. In her analytical essay, featured writer Ali Bizzul uses information from a source to broaden her discussion of the dangers football players face when they add bulk.

NFL offensive linemen who weigh less than 300 pounds are often described as “undersized,” so it’s no surprise that young football players are getting the message that bigger is better — and bulking up. A study of high school linemen in Iowa showed that 45% were overweight and 9% were severely obese by adult standards; in comparison, only 18% of other young males were overweight. Even more troubling, a study in Michigan revealed that among football players from ages 9 to 14, 45% could be considered overweight or obese (as cited in Popke, 2008).

Qualifications, in contrast, allow you to narrow the scope of a statement, reducing the possibility that your readers might misunderstand your meaning. Ali Bizzul makes it clear that deaths related to weight gain are a rare occurrence in football.

Although such fatalities are unusual, a growing number of doctors believe that use of dietary supplements increases the risk of heatstroke among football players.