Minutes a day n e w y o r k

Av o i d   A b s o l u t e s
Persuasive writing involves pitting one side against another—and showing why one side is superior. It’s easy to
fall into the trap of thinking in terms of black and white. If one side is correct, that means the other side is wrong,
right? When you write in terms of absolutes, especially all or none, you weaken your writing. There are always excep-
tions, and a good essay is one that’s careful to avoid statements that don’t allow for those exceptions. Most
absolutes are gross generalizations or stereotypes, both of which you need to avoid.
Failure to acknowledge exceptions will seriously undermine your credibility with your reader. Here’s an
example:
Little Red Riding Hood is portrayed as naïve and innocent, just like all girls in fairy tales.
Well, maybe in all the fairy tales you’ve read, but in fact, many fairy tales describe girls who are sophisticated,
cunning, and even dangerous. There are many exceptions to the “rule” this writer just established, and thought-
ful readers will be put off by such a statement.
To allow for exceptions, exchange absolutes for less restrictive words and phrases. A single word such as many
or most can change a problematic, implausible absolute into a plausible, provable statement. Here are some of those
exchanges: