A Troubleshooting Guide

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A Well-Presented Subject

My readers find my subject vague or do not think it has been identified clearly.

  • Identify the subject, name the author or director, and give the title.
  • Describe the subject–summarize what it is about, cite statistics that establish its importance, or give examples to make it concrete.
  • Consider adding visuals–photographs, tables, or charts–to help clarify the subject.

My readers aren’t sure what kind of subject it is.

  • Classify the subject by naming the genre or category it fits into.
  • Refer to reviews or reviewers of subjects of this kind.
  • Compare your subject to other, better-known subjects of the same kind.
Table 8.23: A TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
A Well-Supported Judgment

My readers don’t find my thesis or ovarall judgment clear.

  • State your thesis early in the essay.
  • Clarify the language in your thesis statement to indicate your overall judgment.
  • Consider whether your judgment is arguable (not simply a matter of taste). If you cannot provide reasons and support for it, then your judgment probably isn’t arguable; ask your instructor about modifying your judgment or writing about a different subject.

My readers aren’t convinced that my evaluation is reasonable and/or persuasive.

  • Clarify the criteria on which you base your judgment, and justify them by citing authorities or reviews of similar subjects, making comparisons, or explaining why your criteria are appropriate and perhaps preferable to criteria readers may be more familiar with.
  • Add support for your reasons by, for example, quoting respected experts or research studies; providing facts or statistics; giving specific examples; or quoting, summarizing, or paraphrasing the subject of your evaluation.

My readers don’t understand my evaluation.

  • Review the way you present your evaluation to make sure that you have explained it clearly and that you state your supporting reasons clearly.
  • Outline your argument to be sure that it is clearly organized; if it is not, try rearranging parts or strengthening connections.
  • Make sure that you have cut out any irrelevant content, and revise to strengthen the connections among your ideas.
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An Effective Response to Objections and Alternative Judgments

My readers raise objections I haven’t considered or find fault with my response to alternative judgments.

  • If readers raise only a minor concern, you may be able to ignore or dismiss it. (Not every objection requires a response.)
  • If readers raise a serious objection, one that undermines your argument, try to refute it by showing that it’s not based on widely held or appropriate criteria or that it’s based on a misunderstanding of your argument or the subject.
  • If readers raise a serious objection that you can’t refute, acknowledge it but try to demonstrate that it doesn’t invalidate your judgment.

My readers have proposed alternative judgments or have found fault with how I handle alternatives.

  • Address the alternative judgments directly by conceding good or bad qualities of the subject that others focus on, but emphasize that you disagree about the overall value of the subject.
  • Point out where you and your readers agree on criteria but disagree on how well the subject meets the criteria.
  • Where you disagree with readers on criteria, try to justify the standards you are applying by citing authorities or establishing your own authority.
A Clear, Logical Organization

My readers find my essay confusing or hard to follow.

  • Outline your essay to review its structure, and move, add, or delete sections as necessary to strengthen coherence.
  • Consider adding a forecasting statement early in your essay.
  • Repeat your key terms or use synonyms of key terms to keep readers oriented.
  • Check to see that you introduce your reasons clearly in topic sentences.
  • Check to be sure that you provide appropriate transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and sections of your essay, especially at points where your readers have trouble following your argument.
  • Review your opening and closing paragraphs to be sure that your overall judgment is clear and appropriately qualified.