When comparing options, state the purpose, identify a relevant criterion, and explain how that criterion helps determine which option better serves the purpose.
Start with the purpose
A criterion is a standard you use to compare options: for example, cost, convenience, or quietness. But naming a standard does not yet explain why it belongs in your comparison. To make that connection, first state what the decision is meant to accomplish. Then ask: “How would this criterion help me decide which option better accomplishes that?”
Consider an invented example: a student group must choose between two proposed locations for independent reading time. The purpose is to help participants read without frequent interruption. Quietness is relevant because interruptions can make sustained reading harder. By contrast, a location’s wall color may be noticeable, but it does not clearly help the group meet that purpose. A criterion matters when it gives a reasoned basis for judging how well an option serves the goal.
Build the reasoning link
Use a three-part chain: purpose, criterion, consequence. First, name the purpose. Next, identify the criterion that bears on it. Finally, explain what the criterion lets you infer about the options. The explanation is the link; without it, readers may see a list of qualities but not understand why those qualities should guide the decision.
A useful sentence pattern is: “Because our purpose is [goal], [criterion] matters: it helps us judge whether [relevant consequence].” For the reading-location example: “Because our purpose is to support uninterrupted reading, quietness matters: it helps us judge which location is less likely to distract readers.” This explains the criterion’s relevance without claiming that one location has already been proven quieter. If you have evidence about the options, add it separately and explain how it supports your judgment.
Worked revision: from a label to a reason
The following invented before-and-after passage compares two proposed locations for a student group’s independent reading time. The purpose is to support reading with fewer interruptions.
Before: “The group should use Room A instead of the library. Quietness is an important criterion. Room A is the better choice because it is quieter. The group should meet there.”
After: “The group should use Room A rather than the library for independent reading time. The purpose of the meeting is to help participants read without frequent interruption, so quietness is a relevant criterion: it helps the group judge which location is more likely to support that purpose. In this invented comparison, Room A is described as quieter than the library, so it better fits the group’s stated goal. If the group’s purpose were instead to find books together, the same criterion might matter less than access to the materials they need.”
The revision does more than call quietness important. It names the purpose, explains why quietness bears on that purpose, and uses the comparison to reach a qualified judgment. The final sentence shows that criteria are not automatically important in every situation: their value depends on what the decision is meant to accomplish. The passage also presents the location comparison as part of an invented scenario, rather than as a verified fact about real rooms.
Check whether the criterion earns its place
After drafting, underline the purpose and circle the criterion. Then inspect the sentence between them: does it explain how the criterion helps judge progress toward the purpose, or does it merely repeat that the criterion is “important”? If the link is missing, add a concrete consequence that follows from the goal.
You can also test the criterion by changing the purpose. If the goal changes, would the criterion still matter as much? In the worked example, quietness matters for uninterrupted reading, but access to books might matter more for a book-finding activity. This test helps you avoid treating your preferred quality as a universal standard. Finally, check that your conclusion matches the support you actually provide. A comparison can justify a choice within an example, but it should not present an invented detail as a verified observation.
Practice and self-check
Exercise: In this invented situation, a student group is choosing between two formats for sharing a short announcement: a printed notice or a brief spoken announcement at a meeting. The group’s purpose is to let members review the details later. A draft says: “The printed notice is better. Easy review is an important criterion.” Revise the draft into two or three sentences. State the purpose, connect a criterion to it, and explain the judgment without claiming more than the scenario tells you.
Worked answer: “Because the group wants members to review the announcement’s details later, access to a copy matters: it lets members return to the information after the meeting. On that purpose, a printed notice appears to fit better than a spoken announcement alone, although the group could use both formats.”
Self-check: The answer names the purpose, identifies access to a copy as the criterion, and explains how that criterion serves later review. It makes a limited comparison rather than claiming that every member will read the notice or that a spoken announcement cannot be remembered.
The revision, explained
Quietness is an important criterion. Room A is the better choice because it is quieter.
Because the group’s purpose is to support uninterrupted reading, quietness matters: it helps the group judge which location is more likely to support that purpose. In this invented comparison, Room A is described as quieter, so it better fits the stated goal.
The original labels quietness as important but leaves its relevance unexplained. The revision connects the criterion to the purpose, then uses the stated comparison to support a bounded judgment. Identifying the scenario as invented also prevents the example from sounding like a verified claim about real locations.
Try the idea.
In an invented situation, a student group is choosing between a printed notice and a spoken announcement. Its purpose is to let members review the details later. Revise this draft into two or three sentences: “The printed notice is better. Easy review is an important criterion.” State the purpose, connect a criterion to it, and avoid unsupported claims.
See the self-check +
Because the group wants members to review the announcement’s details later, access to a copy matters: it lets members return to the information after the meeting. On that purpose, a printed notice appears to fit better than a spoken announcement alone, although the group could use both formats. This answer connects the criterion to the goal and limits the judgment to the scenario.