Response Paper

Reference:

Miller, T.; Parker, D. (1997). Writing for the Reader: A Problem Solution Approach. English Teaching Forum, 35(1), 21-27. Retrieved July 8, 2016

Writing for the Reader: A Problem-Solution Approach by Tom Miller and Dee Parker

Writing for the Reader: A Problem-Solution Approach is Tom Miller and Dee Parker´s outstanding and clear overview of how to write an effective academic article focusing on a problem-solution organization. Writing an article is no easy task, unless one has the right tools to do so. But realistically, not many people, let alone students, have been provided with the correct set of tools to be able to sail through smoothly when writing an article. As a matter of fact, for many students, writing an article is a lot like sailing a boat through choppy waters with a raging hurricane beating the boat from side to side. In the end, the outcomes can be catastrophic or acceptably border lining mediocracy. Fortunately for us, the authors of Writing for the Reader: A Problem-Solution Approach have done an exceptional job of explaining an approach that can make writing an article feasible and; thus, suggest the reason for writing the article.

When writing an article, the author must keep one thought in mind and that is to have his/her article understood when being read. Miller, T. and Parker, D. (1997) say ¨ The introduction is extremely important because it is the part of the article where the writer establishes a relationship with the reader. Here is where the writer needs to express in concrete terms who the intended audience really is. ¨ In my opinion, the introduction to an article can either make or break an author. It is here where the author is given the opportunity to persuade the reader of reading his/her article. I completely agree with what Miller, T. and Parker, D. (1997) have expressed; convincing the reader requires following two seemingly easy steps: ¨ One of the first things a writer must do is achieve credibility vis-à-vis the reader, usually by indicating that s/he is a position of authority to write on the subject. The author also may wish to signal early what problem s/he intends to solve. ¨       Once the author has been able to convince the reader to read his/her article, s/he must move on to present the problem part of the article which according to Miller, T. and Parker, D. (1997) is reintroduced in the body of the article and is the part of the paper where the writer shows that s/he shares reader´s concerns. Now, I feel that the problem part is clearly recognizable because of the use of explicit or implied words of causation and also because the perspective is negative throughout as Miller, T. and Parker, D. (1997) have pointed out. In general, causes, factors or examples of causes are what compose the problem section of the paper.

After describing the problem section of the article, the author moves on to the solution section. Clearly, the solution part is identified without difficulty because, like the problem section, of the change from negative, or cause words, to positive ones. Consequently, as was mention by Miller, T. and Parker, D. (1997) ¨the paragraphs and sentences adjust to accommodate the new orientation¨. In other words, the focus switches from problems to solutions. ¨ At this point, I dare to say that the authors of this article have given the reader an extraordinary explanation of how to recognize between a problem and a solution and; better yet, have oriented the reader to how smaller parts fit into a whole.

            The last part of the article, which according to Miller, T. and Parker, D. (1997) is also very difficult, is the conclusion.  To my way of thinking, the conclusion can be a bit difficult, but not overly problematic. I believe that if a good introduction was written and the author kept on track about what s/he was going to write, it will be reflected in the conclusion. In the end, the conclusion is just a mirror image of the introduction; where one starts generalizing, the other begins by specifying. Once more, the conclusion gives the author the chance to remind the readers that the ultimate purpose for his/her writing the article was to find a solution to a specific problem and that that purpose was reached.

Ultimately, writing an article so that it might be published, but more importantly read is not a piece of cake. Nonetheless, the problem-solution format is most definitely an excellent way of writing for the reader and here I quote Miller, T. and Parker, D. (1997), ¨ it serves a purpose of situating the writer and orienting the reader. ¨ Whether one decides to use the problem-solution structure or some other strategy, the ultimate goal is to sympathize with the reader. The problem-solution approach provides the writer with the tools necessary to write an exceptional article.