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THIRTEEN SENTENCES I NEVER WRITE AGAIN
Is freedom of the news media beneficial to society?
Here is one complete essay on that question, 230 words, and then the machinery that produced it. 13 of its 16 sentences were written before I read the question. In the exam I pick three numbers between one and ten, drop one noun into the first sentence of each paragraph, and add one example of my own per paragraph. Three invented sentences in the whole essay. Below it you will find the parts laid out, and the same prompt argued from the other side as well.
The whole essay
Gold means the line was ready before the question: the four frame sentences, each finger's trunk sentence, and the three backing frames I chose for it. I only dropped nouns into them. White is mine — one example sentence per paragraph, three in the whole essay. Every white line is where the topic itself finally appears, and it is the only place I spend thinking time. The three fingers are TRUST, EDUCATION, FREEDOM, and they cross the hands, which is the one rule I never break.
READYOPENING
The idea that a free press genuinely benefits society has attracted considerable attention, prompting debate over whether the claim is truly justified.
Fixed. Only three nouns move: the subject, the verb phrase, and a two-word restatement. This same sentence opens every essay I write.
READYOPENING
Although an unregulated press does real damage of its own, I am firmly convinced that it benefits society, for three compelling reasons.
Fixed. Concede once, commit, and announce the number three. The number is what forces the rest of the essay to exist.
READYTRUSTTransparency
First, with reference to trust, a free press injects much-needed transparency into decisions made behind closed doors by putting public records in the hands of ordinary citizens.
The opener is fixed, the trunk sentence for trust takes the noun from the prompt, and an attached frame answers how.
READYTRUST
For instance, one reporter now does the work of a newsroom.
A stand-alone frame: show me. Only the two nouns were decided in the exam.
READYTRUST
Without it, voters would still depend on official statements.
What if not? The would frame paints the world without it. Three of the four sentences existed before the question did.
MINETRUST
A leaked budget can change a vote within a week.
The only sentence I write myself. This is where the topic actually shows up, and I keep it short on purpose.
READYEDUCATIONLogical thinking
Second, where education is concerned, a free press hones logical thinking and encourages people to question assumptions because it lets readers see both sides.
Second paragraph: the trunk sentence takes because it lets. Nothing decides the frames except what I want to say.
READYEDUCATION
Admittedly, one viral lie alone can undo a reader's judgement.
A negative frame used as a concession. Its own lead, For instance, is dropped and Admittedly takes its place.
READYEDUCATION
However, it gives students the context they never had.
The answer to the concession: a positive frame that starts with However. Twenty frames, and any of them can do either job.
MINEEDUCATION
Readers who compare two accounts learn to doubt a single one.
My own sentence again, and again the only one in the paragraph.
READYFREEDOMChoice
Finally, in the context of freedom, a free press empowers individuals to make informed choices for themselves, turning rumour into reasoned opinion.
Third paragraph: the trunk sentence joins turning. No frame in this essay appears twice.
READYFREEDOM
Above all, it frees citizens from blind obedience.
Who gains? If the subject were a threat, the mirror frame would say who pays: Above all, it burdens A with B.
READYFREEDOM
In turn, open debate leads to better decisions.
What follows? Nine different frames across the three paragraphs, chosen freely.
MINEFREEDOM
People who can read freely are harder to silence.
My third and final sentence of my own. Three in the whole essay.
READYENDING
In conclusion, while the opposing view has some merit, the reasons above clearly outweigh it.
Fixed, and it has no holes at all. I write this exact sentence under every essay, for or against, whatever the question. This is where outweigh is fired, and it is fired only here.
READYENDING
Given trust, education and freedom, I remain firmly convinced that it benefits society.
Fixed, and nothing in it is new. The three nouns are copied from the body openers, and the clause after convinced that is copied from the second sentence. The examiner sees the whole structure again in one line.
The seven sentences that never change
These are the frames themselves, with the holes still open. The holes in the opening and body lines take nouns straight from the question. The first ending has no holes at all, and the second only copies words already written above. Not one of them requires an article decision — the three body openers all take a bare noun, which is why they were chosen.
OPENING 1
The idea that X Y has attracted considerable attention, prompting debate over whether Z is truly justified.
Turn the prompt into a noun phrase and say that people are arguing about it.
OPENING 2
Although X, I am firmly convinced that Y, for three compelling reasons.
Concede the other side once, then commit, and announce that there are three reasons.
BODY 1
First, with reference to W,
W is the finger. Bare noun, no article.
BODY 2
Second, where W is concerned,
W is the finger. Bare noun, no article.
BODY 3
Finally, in the context of W,
W is the finger. Bare noun, no article.
ENDING 1
In conclusion, while the opposing view has some merit, the reasons above clearly outweigh it.
Concede the other side one last time, then tip the scales. No holes at all, so it works for any question and either side.
ENDING 2
Given X, Y and Z, I remain firmly convinced that W.
Repeat the three finger nouns from the body openers and the stance from the second sentence. Nothing new is written.
THE TEN WORDS THAT GO IN Wmoneytimehealthhappinesseducationfairnessfreedomtrustrootsthe environment
Nine are bare. Only the environment takes an article, and it always takes the same one, so there is still nothing to decide.
Every question is one of three shapes
There used to be five. Five meant deciding which one I was looking at, and I do not want to decide anything at eight in the morning in an exam hall. The shape changes nothing except the verb phrase that goes into Y in the first sentence. The opening and the ending are identical in all three.
1 ・ DO ITShould X be introduced, required, banned or abolished?9 past questions
Y takes — should be made compulsory / should be banned outright / should be free for everyone
2 ・ WORTH ITIs X worth the cost? Does X do more good than harm?3 past questions
Y takes — is worth the money / benefits the communities that host it / has done more good than harm
3 ・ IS IT SOCan X be justified? How far should X go? Will X last?4 past questions
Y takes — can ever be justified / should be allowed to go that far / will disappear within a generation
The paragraph engine
A finger carries three branches, and those three sit on three fingers of a hand. That is not decoration. It means the five sentences of a paragraph already have their jobs handed out before I know what the prompt is. Count to three on one hand and the paragraph is built.
1TH THE BASEX + the first sub-theme
First sub-theme, in under ten words. The noun from the prompt goes here and nowhere else in the paragraph.
2IN WHAT PRESSESIt + the second sub-theme
Second sub-theme, its own short sentence. It does not lean on the one before it, so there is nothing to connect and no Although to write.
3MI WHAT LASTSIt + the third sub-theme
Third sub-theme, still short, and it reaches furthest. Then one example of my own, and then the verb sentence closes the paragraph.
The short sentences are the part I rebuilt last. They used to run to about twenty words each and join up into one chain, which read well and was impossible to remember. Now none of them is over ten words, none of them needs the one before it, and the last line of every paragraph is one of the two verbs. Nothing in the body starts with Although either — the concession already lives in the fixed opening and ending.
THE SAME PARAGRAPH AT EXAM LENGTHfour ready sentences · one of mine57 words
One body paragraph at exam length: four sentences, three of them built from fixed frames and one of my own. It comes to under sixty words, so three of these between the fixed opening and ending land inside two hundred and forty.
First, with reference to trust, a free press injects much-needed transparency into decisions made behind closed doors by putting public records in the hands of ordinary citizens. For instance, one reporter now does the work of a newsroom. Without it, voters would still depend on official statements. A leaked budget can change a vote within a week.
What you are looking at
One complete essay, and then the machinery that produced it. Sixteen of its nineteen sentences were written before I read the question. The point of showing you this is not the opinion — it is that almost none of the essay is decided in the exam hall, and the part that is decided is decided by counting on my fingers.
Ten reasons, on ten fingers
There are only ten reasons a person ever agrees or disagrees with anything. Left hand is mine: money, time, body, happiness, education. Right hand is outside me: fairness, freedom, trust, roots, nature. Three fingers make three body paragraphs, and the rule is that they must cross the hands.
One finger is one paragraph
This is the part that took longest to see. A finger is not a word. A finger is five short sentences that already exist: one for each of its three sub-themes, plus one for each of its two verbs. None of them is over ten words and none of them needs the sentence before it, so the order can change and any one of them can stand alone. A paragraph is three sub-theme sentences, one example of my own with the topic in it, and then the verb sentence to close.
Two verbs, five sentences, no Although
Every finger has one verb that holds and one that breaks. Money yields or imposes. Trust is reinforced or undermined. Each of the two verbs has its own short sentence, written out in advance, and one of the two closes every paragraph: the holding one when I am arguing for something, the breaking one when I am arguing against it. That single line is the only thing that changes when I switch sides. And no paragraph opens its second sentence with Although — three of those in one essay is a pattern any examiner would spot, and the concession already lives in the fixed opening and ending.
What is left over
Six fingers are argued as full paragraphs below — three for, three against, and both sets cross the hands. The other four fingers are shown as a bank, one sentence per branch, so you can see the parts still work outside an essay. Between them, all thirty branches, all twenty finger verbs, all seventeen hinges and all ten endings are used exactly where they belong.
Twenty-one more verbs and endings
Ten skeleton verbs sit in fixed slots — raise and face open, require, depend on, produce, allow, reduce, expand and strengthen explain, demonstrate gives evidence. Ten tails end a sentence with one noun. And outweigh closes the argument. That is the whole verb inventory.
Seventeen hinges
Ten of them take a bare noun and nothing else, so no article decision is ever made. Three are already in daily use. Four take no noun and only change the colour of a sentence. Their real job is time: the shortest is one word, the longest is seven, and length is thinking time.
What to listen for
Every sentence below is tagged with the parts it used. If you want to test the system rather than the speaker, name a finger I have not argued tonight and make me say all five of its sentences on the spot. They should come out in about eight seconds, because there is nothing to compose. The frame should survive; only the nouns should move.
The inventory
L MONEYWealth gapFinancial stabilityFundingholds: yieldbreaks: impose
L TIMEProductivityConvenienceOpportunity costholds: investbreaks: consume
L BODYHealthDisease preventionLongevityholds: protectbreaks: jeopardize
L HAPPINESSFulfillmentPurposeQuality of lifeholds: enrichbreaks: erode
L EDUCATIONLogical thinkingVocational skillsAccessholds: fosterbreaks: discourage
R FAIRNESSHuman rightsDiscriminationRulesholds: narrowbreaks: widen
R FREEDOMChoiceExpressionAutonomyholds: grantbreaks: curb
R TRUSTTransparencyTruthAccountabilityholds: reinforcebreaks: undermine
R ROOTSTraditionCultureIdentityholds: safeguardbreaks: weaken
R NATUREResourcesSustainabilityEcosystemsholds: sustainbreaks: endanger
Skeleton verbs — raise / face / require / depend on / produce / allow / reduce / expand / strengthen / demonstrate
Closing verb — outweigh
Tails — X comes at a price somebody has to pay / whatever X achieves, there is no getting those hours back / X takes its toll sooner or later / X is what makes the day worth having / X fosters personal growth / the burden of X falls on the people least able to carry it / the decision about X belongs to the person living with it / X is not the whole story / X leaves a mark that outlasts us / once X is gone, there is no going back
Hinges — Regarding X, / As for X, / Speaking of X, / Regardless of X, / In the case of X, / With regard to X, / In the context of X, / As far as X goes, / Where X is concerned, / From the point of view of X, / When it comes to X, / In terms of X, / X-wise, / More often than not, / If anything, / On the face of it, / Time and again,
Closing verb — outweigh
Tails — X comes at a price somebody has to pay / whatever X achieves, there is no getting those hours back / X takes its toll sooner or later / X is what makes the day worth having / X fosters personal growth / the burden of X falls on the people least able to carry it / the decision about X belongs to the person living with it / X is not the whole story / X leaves a mark that outlasts us / once X is gone, there is no going back
Hinges — Regarding X, / As for X, / Speaking of X, / Regardless of X, / In the case of X, / With regard to X, / In the context of X, / As far as X goes, / Where X is concerned, / From the point of view of X, / When it comes to X, / In terms of X, / X-wise, / More often than not, / If anything, / On the face of it, / Time and again,
Note the two odd pairs. On eight fingers the second verb is the positive one, but on EDUCATION and ROOTS it is the first — foster and safeguard are already positive, and their opposites are discourage and weaken. Assume the pattern and you will pick the wrong verb twice.
FOR
Speaking drill — the verb pairs argued both ways. Concessions belong here, not in the essay.3 paragraphs, 9 sentences, 321 wordsPARAGRAPH 1RIGHT HANDTRUSTholds: reinforcebreaks: undermine97 words
A press nobody can call off is the only working check on power.
1TH THE BASETransparencyHINGE With regard to transparency,reinforce
With regard to transparency, a press that answers to no minister reinforces every institution it embarrasses, because an office that expects to be written about behaves better than one that does not.
SAY ITLook, transparency is simple. People behave better when they know someone is watching.
2IN WHAT PRESSESTruthCONCESSIONunderminereinforce
Although a free press undermines public confidence in the short run by printing what nobody wanted printed, that is precisely how truth reinforces a system, since confidence in something nobody has checked was never confidence in the first place.
SAY ITYeah, the truth stings at first. But trust in something nobody checked was never worth much.
3MI WHAT LASTSAccountabilityHINGE In the case of accountability,depend onTAIL
In the case of accountability, everything depends on somebody being free to report, and an official account of an official failure is not the whole story.
SAY ITAccountability lasts about a year without reporters. Their own version of a failure is not the whole story.
PARAGRAPH 2LEFT HANDEDUCATIONholds: fosterbreaks: discourage119 words
A country reads better when more than one version of events is legal.
1TH THE BASELogical thinkingHINGE In the context of logical thinking,foster
In the context of logical thinking, a free press fosters the one habit no school can install on its own, which is the habit of asking who benefits from the version you have just been handed.
SAY ITLogical thinking is just asking who gains from the story you were handed. School does not teach that.
2IN WHAT PRESSESVocational skillsCONCESSIONdiscouragefoster
Although a market that pays by the click discourages the slow and expensive kind of reporting, competition between free outlets is what fosters the vocational skills of a newsroom in the first place, and a licensed press would never have built them at all.
SAY ITSure, clicks ruin proper reporting. But nothing builds vocational skills like papers fighting each other for a story.
3MI WHAT LASTSAccessHINGE As far as access goes,strengthenTAIL
As far as access goes, a population that can reach three versions of the same week strengthens faster than one raised on a single version, and reading widely fosters personal growth that no syllabus has ever managed to schedule.
SAY ITAccess is the whole thing. Three versions of the same week are there, if you can reach them.
PARAGRAPH 3RIGHT HANDFREEDOMholds: grantbreaks: curb105 words
A choice made on one account of the facts is not a choice.
1TH THE BASEChoiceHINGE When it comes to choice,grant
When it comes to choice, a free press grants the ordinary reader the only thing that makes a choice mean anything, which is more than one account of what is actually going on.
SAY ITChoice means nothing if you only ever got one side of it.
2IN WHAT PRESSESExpressionCONCESSIONHINGE More often than not,curbgrant
More often than not, the complaint is that expression has gone too far, and although something does have to curb a newsroom at its worst, the courts already grant that remedy after the fact rather than before it.
SAY ITPeople say expression has gone too far. Fine, but that is what courts are for, afterwards.
3MI WHAT LASTSAutonomyHINGE Where autonomy is concerned,allowTAIL
Where autonomy is concerned, being informed only by the people governing you allows nobody to act, and when a reader picks which account to believe, that decision belongs to the person living with it.
SAY ITAutonomy is not being left alone. It is knowing enough to decide for yourself.
AGAINST
No, it is not. Three different fingers, crossing the hands again.3 paragraphs, 9 sentences, 315 wordsPARAGRAPH 1LEFT HANDMONEYholds: yieldbreaks: impose99 words
A newsroom that lives on attention prints what sells, not what matters.
1TH THE BASEWealth gapHINGE Regarding the wealth gap,impose
Regarding the wealth gap, an unregulated press imposes its own economics on everybody, since a newsroom that survives on attention chases the story that sells rather than the story that matters.
SAY ITLook at the wealth gap. A newsroom living on clicks prints what sells, not what matters.
2IN WHAT PRESSESFinancial stabilityCONCESSIONyieldimpose
Although a free press does yield the occasional investigation that pays for itself many times over, the financial stability it imposes on nobody but itself means the daily product is whatever keeps the lights on.
SAY ITYeah, now and then they land a big one. But financial stability means printing whatever keeps the lights on.
3MI WHAT LASTSFundingHINGE In terms of funding,produceTAIL
In terms of funding, four owners produce the questions a whole country is allowed to ask, and a business model that rewards outrage over accuracy comes at a price somebody has to pay.
SAY ITWhoever controls the funding owns the questions. Four owners is not press freedom.
PARAGRAPH 2LEFT HANDBODYholds: protectbreaks: jeopardize116 words
No other industry may distribute a product that measurably raises anxiety.
1TH THE BASEHealthHINGE As for health,jeopardize
As for health, an unbroken stream of crisis jeopardizes the people least able to switch it off, and no other industry is permitted to distribute a product that measurably raises anxiety.
SAY ITIt is a health thing, honestly. Nonstop crisis hits the people who cannot switch it off.
2IN WHAT PRESSESDisease preventionCONCESSIONprotectjeopardize
Although the press protects the public in the rare week when it matters, in the other fifty it jeopardizes something quieter, since disease prevention runs on calm repeated advice and calm advice has never sold a single copy.
SAY ITSure, one week a year it matters. Disease prevention is calm advice, and calm never sold a copy.
3MI WHAT LASTSLongevityHINGE On the face of it,faceTAIL
On the face of it, longevity is good news for the industry, since older readers are the last ones still paying, but everybody younger will face a version of events written for an audience they were never part of, and that takes its toll sooner or later.
SAY ITLongevity is the problem. Older readers are the only ones still paying, so it gets written for them.
PARAGRAPH 3RIGHT HANDFAIRNESSholds: narrowbreaks: widen100 words
The people it reports on can afford lawyers; the people it reports about cannot.
1TH THE BASEHuman rightsHINGE From the point of view of human rights,widen
From the point of view of human rights, a free press widens the very gap it claims to expose, because the people it reports on can afford lawyers and the people it reports about cannot.
SAY ITHuman rights get thinner. The ones being reported on can afford lawyers. The ones being reported about cannot.
2IN WHAT PRESSESDiscriminationCONCESSIONnarrowwiden
Although good reporting narrows the gap that discrimination opens, a press accountable to nobody just as often widens it again, and one careless paragraph can define a neighbourhood for a generation.
SAY ITGood reporting can close that gap, sure. But one careless line about discrimination sticks to a place for years.
3MI WHAT LASTSRulesHINGE Regardless of rules,requireTAIL
Regardless of rules, a right of reply requires money most people do not have, and when a story turns out to be wrong the burden falls on the people least able to carry it.
SAY ITRules the industry wrote for itself are not rules. The press is judging the press.
The four fingers I did not use
TIME, HAPPINESS, ROOTS, NATURE. Twelve branches, one sentence each, on whichever side they sit better. They are here so you can see that the parts do not need an essay around them to work — and so that if you tell me to swap one of the six paragraphs for one of these, I have somewhere to start.
ON THE FOR SIDE
1L TIMEProductivityHINGE In terms of productivity,investdemonstrate
In terms of productivity, a free press invests the months nobody else will spend, and one warning printed before a vote demonstrates the whole case.
SAY ITProductivity is not the point. A free press spends months on a story that pays nothing.
2L HAPPINESSPurposeHINGE Speaking of purpose,enrichTAIL
Speaking of purpose, simply knowing what is going on enriches an ordinary day, and it is what makes the day worth having.
SAY ITIt gives the day a purpose, honestly. Just knowing what is going on makes it easier.
3R ROOTSTraditionHINGE If anything,safeguardTAIL
If anything, tradition needs a paper that safeguards the stories a place tells about itself, and it leaves a mark that outlasts us.
SAY ITTradition, local pride, whatever. Somebody has to keep the stories a place tells.
4R NATURESustainabilitysustain
Sustainability only turns into policy when reporting sustains the pressure long enough to make it impossible to look away.
SAY ITSustainability moves only when reporting keeps the pressure on.
5R NATUREEcosystemsoutweigh
Ecosystems have no vote, so a reporter with a camera is the only voice they get, and that alone would outweigh the mess a free press makes.
SAY ITEcosystems do not vote. A reporter with a camera is the only voice they get.
ON THE AGAINST SIDE
1L TIMEConvenienceconsumeTAIL
Convenience consumes the checking, because a story that can be posted in a minute will be, and once it is wrong, there is no getting those hours back.
SAY ITConvenience eats the checking. Once it is out wrong, that is it.
2L TIMEOpportunity costreduce
The real opportunity cost is the story nobody followed up, since a newsroom that has reduced its staff covers only what happened today.
SAY ITThe opportunity cost is the story nobody went back to. Nothing gets followed up.
3L HAPPINESSFulfillmenterode
Fulfillment erodes when every notification is worse than the one before it.
SAY ITNo fulfillment in it when every alert beats the last one.
4L HAPPINESSQuality of lifeexpand
Quality of life expands for the people who read less of it, which is not what anybody defending the industry wants to hear.
SAY ITFunny thing, quality of life goes up for the people who read less news.
5R ROOTSCultureweaken
Culture is what gets flattened into a headline, and every rewrite weakens the thing the headline claims to describe.
SAY ITA whole culture gets flattened into a headline. Nobody asked for that version.
6R ROOTSIdentityHINGE Time and again,raise
Time and again, a whole identity is reduced to the worst week it ever had, which raises a question nobody in the industry answers.
SAY ITA whole identity ends up being the worst week it ever had. Nothing else gets handed down.
7R NATUREResourcesHINGE Resources-wise,endangerTAIL
Resources-wise, cutting the slow reporting endangers the only journalism that ever changed anything, and once it is gone, there is no going back.
SAY ITResources are the problem. Cut the slow reporting and it does not come back.
Eight sentences per theme
This is the part I got wrong first. I would pick a branch, and then write a sentence the branch word never appeared in. If the word is not in the sentence, I did not use the branch — I only thought about it. So all thirty branches now live inside a finished sentence, and every finger carries eight of them: four for when the subject is something good, four for when it is a threat or something I am arguing against. Each has three sub-themes and one verb sentence to close. None is over eleven words, none has a comma, and none needs the sentence before it. One noun from the prompt goes in at X.
MONEY
GOOD 1First, with reference to money, X goes a long way towards closing the wealth gap.
GOOD 2X provides a safety net that underpins financial stability.
GOOD 3X unlocks vital funding for services that communities rely on.
GOOD CLOSEX yields tangible benefits for ordinary households.
BAD 1X further entrenches the wealth gap between rich and poor.
BAD 2X puts the financial stability of ordinary households at risk.
BAD 3X diverts scarce funding away from schools and hospitals.
BAD CLOSEX can easily impose a hidden tax on ordinary families.
TIME
GOOD 1First, with reference to time, X gives productivity a significant boost across the board.
GOOD 2X streamlines daily life and brings convenience within easy reach.
GOOD 3X lowers the opportunity cost of taking calculated risks.
GOOD CLOSEX invests time now that pays dividends for years.
BAD 1X takes a heavy toll on productivity week after week.
BAD 2X offers short-term convenience at the expense of long-term stability.
BAD 3X drives up the opportunity cost of every wasted hour.
BAD CLOSEX consumes precious hours that could be put to better use.
BODY
GOOD 1First, with reference to health, X paves the way for healthier habits and better health.
GOOD 2X places disease prevention at the heart of everyday care.
GOOD 3X holds the key to greater longevity in later life.
GOOD CLOSEX protects the body and acts as a buffer against illness.
BAD 1X poses a serious threat to public health.
BAD 2X undercuts disease prevention precisely when it matters most.
BAD 3X shaves years off longevity for millions of people.
BAD CLOSEX can easily jeopardize physical wellbeing in the long run.
HAPPINESS
GOOD 1First, with reference to happiness, X instils a deep sense of fulfillment in ordinary people.
GOOD 2X lends purpose to the way people spend their days.
GOOD 3X brings about a marked improvement in quality of life.
GOOD CLOSEX enriches people's lives on a personal level.
BAD 1X drains the fulfillment out of hard work.
BAD 2X saps people's purpose and leaves them adrift.
BAD 3X gradually chips away at the quality of life.
BAD CLOSEX erodes happiness and breeds widespread discontent.
EDUCATION
GOOD 1First, with reference to education, X hones logical thinking and encourages people to question assumptions.
GOOD 2X equips young people with vocational skills that employers value.
GOOD 3X broadens access to education for those once left behind.
GOOD CLOSEX fosters a culture of lifelong learning.
BAD 1X stifles logical thinking and rewards unquestioning obedience.
BAD 2X renders hard-won vocational skills obsolete almost overnight.
BAD 3X puts access to learning beyond the reach of many.
BAD CLOSEX discourages curiosity and promotes rote learning instead.
FAIRNESS
GOOD 1First, with reference to fairness, X upholds basic human rights even for the most vulnerable.
GOOD 2X helps dismantle discrimination in decisions that shape lives.
GOOD 3X levels the playing field under one set of rules.
GOOD CLOSEX narrows inequalities that are rooted in birth rather than effort.
BAD 1X tramples on basic human rights with impunity.
BAD 2X fuels discrimination against groups already on the margins.
BAD 3X bends the rules to suit those in positions of power.
BAD CLOSEX widens the gap between the haves and the have-nots.
FREEDOM
GOOD 1First, with reference to freedom, X empowers individuals to make informed choices for themselves.
GOOD 2X champions free expression even for unpopular views.
GOOD 3X respects personal autonomy and lets people chart their own course.
GOOD CLOSEX grants people the latitude to live as they see fit.
BAD 1X limits choice and makes conformity the path of least resistance.
BAD 2X has a chilling effect on free expression.
BAD 3X encroaches on personal autonomy in subtle but persistent ways.
BAD CLOSEX can easily curb freedoms that people take for granted.
TRUST
GOOD 1First, with reference to trust, X injects much-needed transparency into decisions made behind closed doors.
GOOD 2X brings the truth to light for anyone to scrutinise.
GOOD 3X ensures accountability for those who wield power.
GOOD CLOSEX reinforces social trust and restores faith in institutions.
BAD 1X shrouds decision-making in secrecy and destroys transparency.
BAD 2X blurs the line between truth and fiction.
BAD 3X allows the powerful to evade accountability for their actions.
BAD CLOSEX can easily undermine public trust and sow deep division.
ROOTS
GOOD 1First, with reference to roots, X breathes new life into traditions at risk of disappearing.
GOOD 2X nurtures a shared culture that binds communities together.
GOOD 3X anchors people's identity in a shared heritage.
GOOD CLOSEX safeguards a heritage that has been passed down through generations.
BAD 1X relegates tradition to the pages of history books.
BAD 2X waters down a shared culture until it loses its meaning.
BAD 3X plunges people into a crisis of identity.
BAD CLOSEX weakens the social fabric that holds communities together.
NATURE
GOOD 1First, with reference to the environment, X conserves finite resources for generations to come.
GOOD 2X puts sustainability at the forefront of long-term planning.
GOOD 3X shields fragile ecosystems from irreversible damage.
GOOD CLOSEX sustains growth while striking a balance with nature.
BAD 1X depletes finite resources at an alarming rate.
BAD 2X sacrifices sustainability for the sake of short-term gain.
BAD 3X pushes fragile ecosystems to the brink of collapse.
BAD CLOSEX endangers wildlife and wreaks havoc on the natural world.
Pick three fingers and I use one trunk sentence from each. Everything else in the paragraph is backing: three frames from the twenty below, and one sentence of my own.
Say it short, then back it up
A teacher stopped me on one of these sentences — AI lowers the opportunity cost of trying — and said it did not mean anything. He was right, and the reason is simple: the claim had nothing after it. Saying the claim first in a short sentence is still the right move. What was missing is one more piece. There are twenty frames, ten positive and ten negative, paired by number, one pair for each thing a listener can ask back. Every verb and preposition in them is fixed. The only thing I choose in the moment is two nouns. They combine in any order, and a frame from the other side is never wasted: it becomes a concession that starts with Admittedly, and the next frame answers it with However.
1How?
[claim]by putting A in the hands of B.
A = what is handed over (a tool, the data, the choice). B = who gets it. B is almost always people. Plural means no article: in the hands of farmers.
[claim]by concentrating A in the hands of B.
A = power, money or data. B = a small group (a few tech giants). B is a small group, so a few, never few: a few platforms.
2So what?
[claim], which means less A and more B.
A = what shrinks. B = what grows. If A can be counted, less becomes fewer: fewer mistakes, fewer delays.
[claim], which means more A and less B.
A = what grows (the bad thing). B = what shrinks. If B can be counted, less becomes fewer: fewer jobs.
3Why?
[claim]because it lets A see B.
A = who sees. B = what they can now see. it is the subject of the claim; if that is plural, write because they let. After see, a noun only.
[claim]because it leaves A blind to B.
A = who can no longer see. B = what they miss. blind to, never blind of.
4Into what?
[claim], turning A into B.
A = what it starts as. B = what it becomes (something better). Keep A and B the same kind of noun: guesswork into policy, rumour into evidence.
[claim], reducing A to B.
A = something valued (people, work). B = a lesser version (data points, cheap labour). reduce A to B, never into.
5Show me.
[claim]. For instance, A now does the work of B.
A = one small thing or one person. B = whoever used to do that job. A is singular, so does. If A is plural, write do.
[claim]. For instance, A alone can undo B.
A = one small thing (one leak). B = what took years to build. A is one thing, so start it with one or a: one leak alone.
6What if not?
[claim]. Without it, A would still depend on B.
A = who would be stuck (people). B = the old way (guesswork, paper forms). would + base form: depend, never depends. B is the old way, not the new tool.
[claim]. Left unchecked, it would leave A without B.
A = people. B = what they would lose. would + base form: leave. it is the subject of the claim.
7Who gains?
[claim]. Above all, it frees A from B.
A = who is freed (people). B = the burden. Never drop from. If B is an activity, use -ing: frees nurses from filling in forms.
[claim]. Above all, it burdens A with B.
A = who carries the cost (people). B = the burden. Never drop with.
8And then?
[claim]. As a result, A can finally focus on B.
A = who gains time (people). B = what really matters. can + base form. B is a noun: focus on patients.
[claim]. As a result, A can no longer afford B.
A = people. B = something they used to pay for or risk. afford takes a noun directly: afford a lawyer, never afford for.
9What do they get?
[claim]. It gives A the B they never had.
A = people. B = what they receive (access, a voice, the data). B already has the in front of it, so add no article. they points back to A, even if A is singular.
[claim]. It strips A of the B they once had.
A = people. B = what they lose (control, a voice). strip A of B, never from. B already has the in front of it.
10What follows?
[claim]. In turn, A leads to B.
A = the first good result. B = the bigger one it causes. A is singular or uncountable, so leads; if plural, lead.
[claim]. It starts with A and ends with B.
A = the small first step. B = where it ends up. Keep A small and B large.
One claim, ten frames each way
Gold is the memorised claim. Black is the fixed frame. Green is the only part I think of on the spot.
1 How?
AI conserves finite resources by putting live data in the hands of every farmer.
2 So what?
AI conserves finite resources, which means less waste and more water in the ground.
3 Why?
AI conserves finite resources because it lets a city see every leak.
4 Into what?
AI conserves finite resources, turning rough estimates into a precise schedule.
5 Show me.
AI conserves finite resources. For instance, one sensor now does the work of a crew of inspectors.
6 What if not?
AI conserves finite resources. Without it, farmers would still depend on guesswork.
7 Who gains?
AI conserves finite resources. Above all, it frees farmers from wasteful habits.
8 And then?
AI conserves finite resources. As a result, water boards can finally focus on real shortages.
9 What do they get?
AI conserves finite resources. It gives small farms the data they never had.
10 What follows?
AI conserves finite resources. In turn, smarter irrigation leads to healthier rivers.
1 How?
AI burns through finite resources by concentrating water rights in the hands of a few data centres.
2 So what?
AI burns through finite resources, which means more cooling and less drinking water.
3 Why?
AI burns through finite resources because it leaves local councils blind to its water use.
4 Into what?
AI burns through finite resources, reducing rivers to cooling systems.
5 Show me.
AI burns through finite resources. For instance, one new data centre alone can undo a decade of conservation.
6 What if nobody stops it?
AI burns through finite resources. Left unchecked, it would leave whole towns without clean water.
7 Who pays?
AI burns through finite resources. Above all, it burdens local residents with higher bills.
8 And then?
AI burns through finite resources. As a result, small farms can no longer afford irrigation.
9 What do they lose?
AI burns through finite resources. It strips rural areas of the water they once had.
10 Where does it end?
AI burns through finite resources. It starts with one server farm and ends with a dry valley.
Nature, all eight trunk sentences, backed
Positive frames on the four sentences where the subject is good, negative frames on the four where it is bad.
X IS GOODBY PUTTINGWHICH MEANS LESS
AI conserves finite resources for generations to come by putting real-time data in the hands of every farmer, which means less waste and more water in the ground.
How, then so what: two attached frames make one sentence. Four nouns, and everything else was fixed before the lesson.
X IS GOODLETS SEETURNING
AI puts sustainability at the forefront of long-term planning because it lets governments see the real cost, turning guesswork into policy.
Why, then into what. Sustainability is exactly the word that sounds empty on its own; the frames force a person, a thing they see, and a change.
X IS GOODNOW DOES THE WORK
AI shields fragile ecosystems from irreversible damage. For instance, a single camera now does the work of a team of rangers.
Show me. One small thing against a crowd.
X IS GOODLEADS TO
AI sustains growth while striking a balance with nature. In turn, better data leads to smarter policy.
What follows? One good result causing a bigger one.
X IS BADSTARTS / ENDS
AI depletes finite resources at an alarming rate. It starts with one data centre and ends with a drained reservoir.
The same finger with the subject as a threat. Where does it end? Small start, large end.
X IS BADBY CONCENTRATING
AI sacrifices sustainability for the sake of short-term gain by concentrating power in the hands of a few tech firms.
How, from the other side: by concentrating instead of by putting. One verb changes.
X IS BADWHICH MEANS MORE
AI pushes fragile ecosystems to the brink of collapse, which means more mining and less wilderness.
So what, reversed: more of the bad thing, less of the good one.
X IS BADLEAVES BLIND
AI endangers wildlife and wreaks havoc on the natural world because it leaves regulators blind to its energy use.
Why, reversed: it leaves someone blind instead of letting them see.
Twenty frames, any order
Each reason is the trunk sentence, three frames, and one sentence of my own in italics. There are only three rules: no more than two attached frames in one sentence, no frame twice in one essay, and a frame from the other side becomes a concession with Admittedly, answered by However.
TWO ATTACHED, THEN AN EXAMPLE1 BY PUTTING2 WHICH MEANS LESS5 NOW DOES THE WORK
AI conserves finite resources for generations to come by putting real-time data in the hands of every farmer, which means less waste and more water in the ground. For instance, one sensor now does the work of a crew of inspectors. Farms that measure every drop rarely overpump.
Two attached frames make one sentence, then a stand-alone example.
WHY, INTO WHAT, WHAT IF NOT3 LETS SEE4 TURNING6 WOULD STILL DEPEND
AI puts sustainability at the forefront of long-term planning because it lets governments see the real cost, turning guesswork into policy. Without it, water boards would still depend on rough estimates. Plans fail when nobody sees what is running out.
Why and into what share one sentence; the would frame shows the world without it.
ADMITTEDLY, HOWEVER4 TURNING5 ALONE CAN UNDO7 IT FREES
AI shields fragile ecosystems from irreversible damage, turning raw images into early warnings. Admittedly, one false alarm alone can undo public confidence. However, it frees rangers from endless patrols. Reserves that spot trouble early can save a species.
A negative frame becomes a concession; the next positive frame answers it with However.
X IS BAD, WITH A POSITIVE CONCESSION3 LEAVES BLIND8 CAN FINALLY FOCUS9 ONCE HAD
AI depletes finite resources at an alarming rate because it leaves tech firms blind to local water shortages. Admittedly, engineers can finally focus on efficiency. However, it strips rural areas of the water they once had. One data centre can use as much water as a small town.
The same moves from the other side: the positive frame is the concession.
Everything above is for writing. Here is what I use when I talk.
There are seventeen hinges in the system. On paper I can use all of them, because paper waits. Out loud I cannot choose between seventeen things, so speaking gets five.All five take a bare noun, so there is no article to get wrong while my mouth is already moving. The number beside each one is how many times I have actually said it in these recordings.
When it comes to X,The workhorse. Opens any topic, takes a bare noun.said 20x
The workhorse. It takes a bare noun and nothing else, so there is no article to get wrong. I have used it twenty times in these recordings, more than any of the other four. If I only ever learned one of these, it would be this one.
When it comes to money, nobody wants to go first.
X-wise,The shortest hinge in English. No words at all, just a suffix.said 14x
The shortest hinge in English: no words at all, just a suffix. It is also the only productive one — bolt -wise onto almost any noun and a native will follow you. Budget-wise, weather-wise, sleep-wise. It took me three tries to stop putting something in front of it: the time-wise, from money-wise, environmentally-wise. Nothing goes in front. Nothing goes after but a comma.
Time-wise, it is not going to happen this month.
Speaking of X,The only one that rides your topic instead of launching mine.said 4x
The only one of the five that rides your topic instead of launching mine. The other four open a door; this one walks through a door you opened. So if I go quiet for a while and then say speaking of, it means I was waiting for the word.
Speaking of trust, that is exactly what went wrong here.
As far as X goes,The longest, which is the point. Five words of thinking time.said 1x
The longest of the five, and that is exactly why it is here. Five words buys me the time to decide what comes next. It also warns you that I am about to limit my claim rather than make a big one. I have used it once in twenty-nine lessons, which is the whole reason it is on this list.
As far as cost goes, I have not looked into it properly.
In terms of X,The measuring one. Names the axis you are judging on.said 7x
The measuring one. It says: here is the axis I am judging this on. Cost, time, safety. It is the most useful of the five when I disagree with you, because half the time we agree on the facts and are only measuring on different axes.
In terms of safety, the old one was better.
THE WORST HABIT I HAVE, COUNTED
I have said I think 86 times across 36 recorded lessons — 41,301 words of my own speech. Ten times in a single twenty-five-minute conversation, on two separate nights. It has stopped meaning that I think something. It is punctuation now. I say it while my brain looks for the next word, the way other people say um.
These five are what I am replacing it with. Four of them I have never said once, which tells you how narrow my speaking vocabulary actually is compared to my reading vocabulary. Please count tonight. If I say I think more than three times, stop me and make me say one of these instead.
I'd say ~The softest. The conditional does the hedging for you.said 0x
The softest of the five. The conditional does the hedging for me, so I do not have to bolt maybe or probably onto the front of the sentence. I'd say it is closer to twenty. Still zero times as I'd say. On the one night I reached for it, it came out as I would say, four times.
I'd say it is closer to twenty than thirty.
The way I see it, ~Flags the whole sentence as a view, and sounds arrived at.said 10x
Flags the whole sentence as a view rather than a fact, and it sounds like I arrived at it rather than felt it. That difference matters right before disagreeing with someone. Said it zero times in thirty-five lessons, then ten times in one night, because I announced it out loud before using it.
The way I see it, they were never going to finish on time.
As far as I know, ~The only one that admits your information may be incomplete.said 0x
The only one of the five that admits my information might be incomplete. It is not modesty, it is insurance: if I turn out to be wrong, I was already wrong out loud. Said it zero times so far, which is strange, because I am wrong constantly.
As far as I know, nothing has changed since last year.
I bet ~The only confident one. A prediction with a wager inside it.said 7x
The only confident one. There is a wager inside it, which turns an opinion into a prediction. I bet they cancel it. One of three on this list I have actually said: seven times now, four of them in one night.
I bet they cancel it before the end of the month.
It seems like ~Moves the source outside your head. You are reporting, not feeling.said 5x
Moves the source outside my head. The evidence points that way; I am reporting rather than feeling. Useful when I do not want to own the claim yet. Said it zero times in thirty-five lessons, then five times in one night.
It seems like nobody told them.
Coverage
This table is not written by hand. A script reads the paragraphs, reads the bank, reads the toolkit, and counts. If one branch or one verb were missing, the build would fail rather than quietly print a smaller number.
Fingers10 / 10
Branches30 / 30
Paragraph slots3 / 3
Finger verbs20 / 20
Skeleton and close11 / 11
Tails10 / 10
Hinges17 / 17
HOW TO TEST ME WITH THIS
- Give me any exam question at all and time me writing the two opening sentences. It should take under a minute, because I am only choosing nouns.
- Name one of the four fingers I left on the shelf and make me say all five of its sentences out loud. If they take longer than eight seconds, I have not learned them.
- Pick a paragraph and ask me to argue it from the other side. That is one verb swapped and one sentence rewritten, nothing else.
- Cover the last sentence of any paragraph and ask me for a different example. The three short ones stay exactly as they are, so only the example has to be rebuilt.
- Count my I thinks. If I pass three, stop me and make me use one of the five replacements. That is the single most useful thing anyone can do for my speaking.
- Look at the gold sentences and tell me if any of them sound stiff or old-fashioned to you. The four frames go into every essay I ever write, so a bad one costs me a hundred times over.
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