How to argue, persuade, or inform using the “so-what” factor

Lacey Galbraith

Your mother says…“It is important to take

the dog outside 3 times a day.”

Explanation #2… “Because the dog has been inside all day.”

Explanation #3... “Because the dog has been inside all day, and

this means he might

You ask, “Why?”

Explanation #1… “Because I said so.”

go to the bathroom in your closet.”

the So-What factor

What is the “So-What” factor?

I used to read to my little

brother.

So what.

I used to read to my little brother, and yesterday he won his school’s

spelling bee.

Did you know reading to kids is

important?

Wow!

So what.

When you write, the so-what factor

tells your reader WHY.

Why is this important?

Why does it matter?

Why should I care?

*Note: Be careful voicing this last point aloud.

The so-what factor is the final step in any

explanation or analysis.

S.E.E. So-What?

1. STATE your claim or opinion.

2. EVIDENCE: Give example(s) to support your claim.

3. ELABORATE and EXPLAIN the examples.

4. SO-WHAT = ARGUE how the evidence supports

your claim. Explain why the reader should listen.

EXAMPLEWhat does the

text SAY?Copy the quotation

including the page #.

ELABORATIONWhat does it

MEAN?Explain the quotation

in the context of the

text. Use your own

words to show you

understand.

SO-WHATWhy does it

MATTER? Comment on the effect

the quotation has on

the reader’s

understanding. Explain

its significance; tell

why and how the

author uses it.

EXAMPLEWhat does the

text SAY?

ELABORATIONWhat does it

Mean?

SO-WHAT

Why does it Matter?

“What’s in a

name? That which

we call a rose/By

any other name

would smell as

sweet” (78).

Juliet is thinking about

why she can’t be with

Romeo and believes

that what something

is called is less

important that what

something actually is.

Society judges people and

things based on surface

characteristics such as what

they look like or are called.

Because Romeo’s last name is

Montague, Juliet’s family

considers him to be an unfit

match romantically.

Shakespeare uses a simile to

show how false this thinking

is, for to Juliet, Romeo’s

personal attributes are more

important than his last name.

Notice that this column is the longest out of the three.