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The Pros and Cons Article Template
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The “Pros and Cons” Article Template works like this: You introduce an argument with 1-2 paragraphs max and then you provide a minimum of 3-4 pro’s and 3-4 con’s, wrapped up by a conclusion paragraph that describes your position and why.
Too often articles are written that debate the merits of the author’s position (nothing wrong with that) but they fail to provide counter-arguments that can actually improve the authors credibility for being able to see the big picture or at least acknowledge the counter-arguments that exist (even if they don’t agree with them).
- Tip: Use bullet points to present your list of Pro’s and Con’s as it’ll make your articles easier to read.
- Revised Tip: It’s “Pros & Cons” and not “Pro’s & Con’s”.
Mini Example of this Pros & Cons Article Template:
(Actual example should meet our 250 word min. count and target 400 or more words)
Review of 30 Inch Flat Panel Computer Monitors
If you want to impress your friends and co-workers while being able to get more done while sitting at your computer, the new 30″ flat panel monitors really rock.
Here are the Pros of why you should invest in a 30″ flat panel monitor:
- Takes multi-tasking to the next level without having to flip back and forth between applications (saves time)
- Unclutters your desktop instead of having two 15″ monitors (improves efficiency)
- Can easily double as a movie screen to entertain yourself or others
Here are the Cons of why you might want to hold off on investing in a 30″ flat panel monitor:
- Quite a bit more expensive than (2) 15″ monitors
- May require dual-link DVI video card support that is not found in today’s average computer
- You may lose where your mouse is on the screen as there is so much display real estate
Conclusion: If money is no object and you’re an early adopter, you really have no choice and must get your 30″ flat panel monitor before everyone else. For everyone else, waiting another year means it’ll probably come down half in price and video cards in computers will improve their support for massive-sized flat panels.
[INSERT MY RESOURCE BOX HERE]
http://www.ezinearticles.com/?cat=Computers-and-Technology:Hardware
Have you ever used the “Pros & Cons” Article Template before and do you have any tips to add?UPDATED March 26, 2007 7am CST: Updated all Pro’s and Con’s to become Pros & Cons.
 Posted by Christopher M. Knight on March 25, 2007 at 11:56 am | 4,970 views |
21 Comments »
Chris,
Loved the article. I, too, firmly feel that showing both sides of the fence adds to your crediblity that you’re being totally upfront and honest with your reader.
I really like the “comparison” method between two or more products or services as well.
[Reply]
Great idea for an article. Just make sure you don’t adopt this style if you’re writing letters to the editor of newspapers and magazines. Those letters require that you take a strong position.
Also, there’s no apostrophe in “pro’s” and “con’s.” It should simply be “pros and cons.” The words are plural, not possessive.
[Reply]
Hi Chris,
Now that I think about this, the more genius it is to provide the cons about a product or situation. It’s all too easy to be thinking about the benefits and features of the product without regard to what my ideal customer really wants.
Anything I can do to “get inside the customer’s head” and write to their heart, problems, confusion, objections, and pain, the more I will connect with them. And the more I can connect, the more interested they are going to be. I think that’s a really good thing to work toward.
If I do nothing more than get my own thinking switched from “me” to “us” — I will have done us both a service.
Thanks for the valuable lesson!
Nancy
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If I may… a couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article like this comparing two internet services. I didn’t use the exact words “pros and cons” – I chose “Advantages and Disadvantages.”
The format is an excellent way to remain objective in your articles, i.e. “keeping the emotion out of it.” (which is something you were talking about maybe a month or two ago?).
[Reply]
As an editor, a pet peeve is the incorrect use of possessive: “It’s” instead of “its” and “pro’s and con’s” instead of “pros and cons. That sort of thing. In my mind, nothing can damage one’s credibility more than to confuse the possessive with a verb.
That being said, this is definitely a great tip which we will be certain to use.
[Reply]
Joan Stewart blogged about this entry to reinforce when it’s ‘not’ appropriate to use the *pros & cons* article template:
http://publicityhound.net/index.php/pros-and-cons-article-template/
[Reply]
Howdy all –
The good thing (pro) about this template type is the fact that both sides get a voice in your article.
The bad thing (con) about this template style is the fact that both sides get a voice in your article.
However… All the voices in my head like it!
Thanks Chris!
[Reply]
Hi Chris,
as an ezinearticle.com starter I am still very busy to get basics right. Also, writing in English is hard for somebody like me whose mother language is different.
However, I enjoy it very much to learn from your tips. Somehow, you also help me for my homepage writing.
The pros and cons idea is great.
Shouldn’t there always be the author’s standing as conclusion to the pros and cons? Or am I confused?
I mean like in real life where one is pro and the other is contra and where the mediator comes up with the conclusion? That should be the role of the article author as well.
Hoping not to confuse anything here…
Gabriele
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Hi Chris,
As usual you always come with the brightest ideas ! The only thing that I can add is how to get the cons and the pros. Unless you have your own experience with a service or a product, you can look at the tiles of the search results for a given term in the 2 or 3 first pages, then you will feel where the writer stands for, or you may find some one else is writing about the pros and cons.
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