1. Moving from general to specific: General information is useful; it let’s the reader know what you’re talking about. Specific information is useful; it offers necessary and persuasive details that give your argument credibility and rhetorical power.

2. GeneralLess GeneralSpecificMore SpecificVery Specific EarthNorth America The United States CaliforniaLos Angeles A bookA famous novel A famous novel from the 1800s A famous novel by Herman Melville “Moby Dick” by Herman Melville StuffHung outHung out with friends Hung out with friends downtown Went clubbing with Sarah and Peter at “The Vault” WeirdI feel anxiousI feel anxious about the future I’m concerned about money after college I’m worried about making enough money with my communications degree after college because I have a lot of student debt. It’s coolI like the way it looks The picture has a lot of interesting detail The picture shows how a place looked in the present and the past. The picture shows a color image of London in the present in the background, and a black and white image of London from 1921 in the center.

3. Your own opinions and arguments need to be specific too; explain in detail why you feel a certain way and add examples to make it more persuasive. Jack in the Box is nasty. Jack in the Box is nasty because the meat is dry and chewy. Jack in the Box is nasty because the meat is dry and chewy. I spent ten minutes trying to chew one Ultimate Cheeseburger and when I was done, I had to spend thirty minutes in the bathroom.