Exploring Writing 2nd Edition by John Langan

Exercise 38

Each of the five points below is followed by two attempts at support ( a and b ). Write S (for specific ) in the space next to the one that succeeds in providing specific support for the point. Write X in the space next to the one that lacks supporting details.
1. My two-year-old son was in a stubborn mood today.
__________ a. When I asked him to do something, he gave me nothing but trouble. He seemed determined to make things difficult for me, for he had his mind made up.
__________ b. When I asked him to stop playing in the yard and come indoors, he looked me squarely in the eye and shouted "No!" and then spelled it out, "N... O!"
2. The prices in the amusement park were outrageously high.
__________ a. The food seemed to cost twice as much as it would in a supermarket and was sometimes of poor quality. The rides also cost a lot, and so I had to tell the children that they were limited to a certain number of them.
__________ b. The cost of the log flume, a ride that lasts roughly three minutes, was ten dollars a person. Then I had to pay four dollars for an eight-ounce cup of Coke and six dollars for a hot dog.
3. My brother-in-law is accident-prone.
__________ a. Once he tried to open a tube of Krazy Glue with his teeth. When the cap came loose, glue squirted out and sealed his lips shut. They had to be pried open in a hospital emergency room.
__________ b. Even when he does seemingly simple jobs, he seems to get into trouble. This can lead to hilarious, but sometimes dangerous, results. Things never seem to go right for him, and he often needs the help of others to get out of one predicament or another.
4. The so-called "bargains" at the yard sale were junk.
__________ a. The tables were filled with useless stuff no one could possibly want. They were the kinds of things that should be thrown away, not sold.
__________ b. The "bargains" included two headless dolls, blankets filled with holes, scorched potholders, and a plastic Christmas tree with several branches missing.
5. The key to success in college is organization.
__________ a. Knowing what you're doing, when you have to do it, and so on is a big help for a student. A system is crucial in achieving an ordered approach to study. Otherwise, things become very disorganized, and it is not long before grades will begin to drop.
__________ b. Organized students never forget paper or exam dates, which are marked on a calendar above their desks. And instead of having to cram for exams, they study their clear, neat classroom and textbook notes on a daily basis.
EXPLANATION: The specific support for point 1 is answer b. The writer does not just tell us that the little boy was stubborn but provides an example that shows us. In particular, the detail of the son's spelling out "N... O!" makes his stubbornness vividly real for the reader. For point 2, answer b gives specific prices (ten dollars for a ride, four dollars for a Coke, and six dollars for a hot dog) to support the idea that the amusement park was expensive. For point 3, answer a vividly backs up the idea that the brother-in-law is accident-prone by detailing an accident with Krazy Glue. Point 4 is supported by answer b , which lists specific examples of useless items that were offered for sale-from headless dolls to a broken plastic Christmas tree. We cannot help agreeing with the writer's point that the items were not bargains but junk. Point 5 is backed up by answer b , which identifies two specific strategies of organized students: they mark important dates on calendars above their desks, and they take careful notes and study them on a daily basis.
In each of the five cases, the specific evidence enables us to see for ourselves that the writer's point is valid.