LESSON 2.4
The What Statement
You are next going to construct a What Statement. It is a short, simple sentence that tells the reader what the subject is of something you have written.
The What Statement
The What Statement consists of two variables joined by a verb or verb phrase. For example:
(If I could be any wild animal), I would be an aye-aye lemur.
Variables
The What Statement has two variables. Think of the ends of a barbell. At least one of the two (or their relationship) must be New information.
Old Information
Old information is a variable readers probably already know about or probably do not care about. (In this website we will always capitalize when referring to Old or New variables.)
The Word I
We write for adult strangers. Therefore, while readers do not know about you, they are unlikely to care about you. So the word I is almost always Old information.
New Information
New information is a variable readers probably do not know much about and are likely to find interesting.
Formula
It is easy to remember what variables should be in a What Statement:
O + O = poor subject
O + N (or N + O) = good subject
TROUT SHOUT!
Yell the formula!
Again!
Yell the formula and hit your desk!
Two Examples
Let’s take two What Statements.
If I could be any wild animal, I would be an ice worm.
(If I could be any wild animal), I would be an aye-aye lemur.
Variable 1: I. The reader, an adult stranger, does not know you, so the variable is “Old.” Again, to be New, a variable must be something readers probably do not know much about AND are likely to be interested in. You are a stranger, so it is unlikely that you interest readers.
Variable 2: aye-aye lemur. Most readers probably do not know much, if anything, about aye-aye lemurs. You will tell them why aye-ayes are interesting. For example, they are immune to HIV, because their species had AIDS 90,000 years ago. Their blood is therefore very important to scientists researching that terrible disease.
The Importance of a New Variable
Having at least one New variable is extremely important for writing any type of document. Whether you are writing an essay, research paper, argumentative paper, business letter, or even a classified ad, if you do not have a New variable, then you are at risk of wasting readers’ time. A good writing instructor should give you a very low grade for anything that does not have a New idea – that is, a New variable.
Grading Variables
How do you know if a variable is Old information or New information?
One way is to use common sense, as the previous lesson mentioned:
Old Information | New Information |
Earthworms | Ice worms |
Salmon | Blobfish |
Jaguar | Jaguarondi |
Gazelle | Capricorn |
A second way to check if your variable is New is to grade potential ideas:
Grade | Definition |
C | Your intended audience probably knows quite a bit about the subject |
B | Your intended audience probably doesn’t know much about the subject |
A | Your intended audience probably doesn’t know much about the subject AND is highly likely to be intrigued by it. |
To use the grading system:
- Brainstorm (including using a computer or book) a lot of possible ideas
- Grade the ideas
- Choose the A idea that—
- Has quite a lot of information about it
- You would like to learn more about
The Relationship
Once you have chosen a New variable, you will have the two ends, or variables, of a Communication Barbell.
The variables will be a noun or pronoun. To review from The Parts of Speech:
Noun: The __________ named ____________
Fill in either blank, and the word is a noun.
Examples: the dog the dog named Spot
Pronoun: Sally can fool Sam?
If you have not identified the word’s part of speech, AND it can replace either Sally or Sam, then the word is a pronoun.
Examples: He can fool Sam? Sally can fool everyone?
The relationship will be a verb or verb phrase. To review from The Parts of Speech:
Verb: She ___________ OR They ____________
If you can fill in either blank, followed by a period, then the word is a verb.
Examples: She runs. They run.
Two Examples
N+O Structure
Sometimes the New variable will be first. For example:
New Information in the Relationship
Sometimes the New variable will be in the relationship.
Let’s say it is the year 1928. You have chocolate in one hand (Old information) and peanut butter in the other (Old information). You excitedly clap your hands together.
What have you just produced?
You have produced a New variable: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. They are Old information now, but back then Reese’swas New. It made the man a fortune.
Subjects to Avoid
Avoid “Coloring” an Old Variable
Students often make the mistake of adding a strange color or other trait to an Old variable in the hope of making it New. For example:
If I could be any wild animal, I would be a pink whale with purple spots.
Here, the variable is still a “whale,” which is Old information. And since I is almost always Old, you have Old + Old = poor subject.
Avoid Thinking That a Personal Subject Makes It New
Students also often mistake a personal subject for New because potential readers do not know anything about it. For example:
My horse, Flicka, has won over a dozen trophies in our county fair.
Variable 1: My horse, Flicka Old information
Variable 2: Flicka’s dozen trophies Old information
Remember, to be New, a variable must have a high probability of being New and Interesting to potential readers. Readers are adult strangers. They do not know you, and it is unlikely that they care if Flicka has won trophies. That is important to you, but it is not important to readers.
Checking the What Statement
Once you have a possible What Statement, you need to check it. Use the following flowchart:
Question | Answer | Action |
1. Is the What Statement a sentence? | No | Rewrite the What Statement |
Yes | Go to Question 2 | |
2. Are there two variables? | No | Rewrite the What Statement |
Yes | Go to Question 3 | |
3. Is at least one of the variables (or their relationship) New information? | No | Brainstorm more potential variables, then rewrite |
Yes | Insert What Statement into the S of the SONY organization. |
Is the What Statement a Sentence?
What is a sentence? There are several definitions. The best one, however, is this: If it sounds like a sentence, then it is usually a sentence.
Are there two variables?
Make sure you have two variables. The following sentence, for instance, only has one, because Amelia Earhart and a famous aviator are the same variable.
Is at Least One of the Variables (or their Relationship) New Information?
What Statements are usually very simple. Don’t try to cram several ideas into them. Just make sure that at least one of the variables (or their relationship) is New.
Small Group or Individual Activity
- Determine the two variables in the following What Statements.
- Decide if the What Statement is O+O, O+N, or N+O
Prompt: If you could do anything you want this weekend, regardless of cost, what would you do?
If I could do anything this weekend, regardless of cost,
What Statement | Variables | Formula |
1. I would play basketball |
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2. I would hunt ice worms |
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3. I would go skiing |
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4. I would go ski-joring |
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5. I would explore a cave |
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6. I would go snowmobiling |
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7. I would hunt moose |
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8. I would work on my stamp collection |
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9. I would go to Japan |
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10. I would explore Mammoth Cave with a professional spelunker* |
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*cave explorer
Small Group or Individual Activity
Complete the exercise: Cuba