Silence After the List #34
Definition
Structure technique
Ending a section with a list of facts or a sequence of assertions and providing no concluding sentence. The absence of a conclusion forces the reader to supply their own. A stated conclusion gives the reader permission to disagree. No conclusion means there is nothing to disagree with.
Example
¶16 lists, in two columns, what each party's demand sought and what each party produced in response. ¶17 states the rule governing discovery sanctions. No sentence between them says "the imbalance is obvious." It is obvious. Saying so would weaken it.
Anti-pattern
"As the foregoing clearly demonstrates, the disparity in the parties' compliance is stark, overwhelming, and beyond any reasonable dispute."
Requirements
- A sequence of three or more facts or assertions
- No "Therefore," "Accordingly," "Thus," or equivalent transitional word following the list
- The section either ends or transitions directly to a new legal argument
- The omitted conclusion is obvious from the listed facts