Draft a response to objections readers are likely to raise.

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The following activity will help you respond to possible objections your readers might raise. Start by analyzing the reasons your readers object to your cause, and then consider ways you might refute their objections.

Ways In

HOW CAN I RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO MY READERS’ OBJECTIONS?

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  1. For each of your preferred causes, consider the questions your readers might raise. Some possibilities include the following:
    • Even if you can prove that [your cause] and [your subject] [increased/decreased] at the same time, how do you know actually caused ?
    • Even if you can prove that [your subject] occurred after [your cause], how do you know actually caused ?
    • Could [your cause] and [your subject] both have been caused by something else altogether?
    • seems to have been a cause of [your subject], but was it really a major cause or just one of many contributing causes?
  2. Use the following sentence strategies or language of your own to respond to one of these objections:
    • The objection that can be caused by things other than [my cause] may be true. But there is strong evidence showing that [my cause] played a central role by .
    • Researchers studying have shown a causal connection between [my cause] and [my subject]. They claim [quote/paraphrase/summarize information from source] (cite source).
    • A large number of people have been polled on this question, and it appears that was an important factor in their decision to .

Research Note

You may need to conduct research to find evidence to support your refutation. If so, revisit the sections Conduct Research and Cite a Variety of Sources to Support Your Causal Analysis.