Cooperative Readers

Getting readers to cooperate with you in the end is your whole purpose. If you can get them doing it all along, your job gets a lot easier!

On the other hand, it’s not hard to make uncooperative readers. Here are a few ways:

• Tell them they’re wrong, directly or implicitly.
• Write sloppily.
• Write unclearly. Make your readers work too hard.
• Use a font size that strains readers’ eyes.
• Be rude or insensitive.
• Commit fallacies of logic.
• Use too many be verbs.

Have you ever been an uncooperative reader? Have you found yourself arguing silently with the author and not paying close attention to the ideas being presented, or at least not considering them carefully? What made you react this way? Does your paper deal with any sensitive issues that could do the same thing to other readers? Would that significantly impact your purpose and the effectiveness of your paper? How will you avoid this problem?

Hints for developing cooperative readers:

• Write well. Express ideas clearly. Use concrete details and metaphors to help readers understand your ideas easily.
• Apply your paper to readers. Help them understand why they should care about your topic.
• Show interest or concern for readers or things readers care about.
• Research your topic well.

Use metaphors or concrete details to help readers understand abstract ideas.