How to Write a Good Ransom Note

A Good Argument

  • Bold Clear Premise (Thesis, Hypothesis)
  • Step-by-Step Logical “Proof”
  • Specific Details to emphasize and illustrate the reasoning

Does This Qualify as an Effective Proposal Argument?

Yeah, that’s a horrible Ransom Note. And it would make a horrible argument of any sort. It has no clear premise, follows no logic, is so short on details it does not clearly communicate the consequences of following or failing to follow instructions. 

Does this qualify?


This is more like it, a clear thesis (Proposal Argument: deliver money or lose your husband.), full of specific details and bold claims, it makes its purpose known and identifies the consequences for failure to follow its excellent advice.

Reply below how this comparison of two Ransom Notes helps you understand the value of very specific claims and illustrative language.

90 Responses to How to Write a Good Ransom Note

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  1. sortableelms says:
    February 7, 2023 at 10:13 am

    The first ransom note was very wordy, short of details, and didn’t prove any points. The second ransom note gets right to the point and it makes the instructions clear. It keeps the reader’s attention. The second one makes the note have more purpose and is more likely to be followed.

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    • davidbdale says:
      February 8, 2023 at 12:49 pm

      Would it surprise you to hear that the two notes contain the same number of words?

      There are two ways to be wordy. One is to use too many words. The other way is to say very little no matter how briefly you fail to express yourself.

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  2. miliwawa says:
    February 7, 2023 at 10:13 am

    This shows how important it is to be clear in your writing. Otherwise, you will lose your audience by being too wordy with no precise details or arguments.

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  3. gobirds115 says:
    February 7, 2023 at 10:14 am

    The language used in the second note makes clear specific claims and uses words that let you know that they’re not messing around or wasting any time. The first note does a lot of jumping around and working around the point of what the note is supposed to achieve.

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  4. doglover846 says:
    February 7, 2023 at 10:14 am

    The first ransom note was not very clear and didn’t give great instructions. It was also very vague and wordy. However the second ransom note was straight to the point, made bold claims and gave clear instructions. If the instructions were not followed, consequences would be applied to her husband.

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  5. 44elk says:
    February 7, 2023 at 10:16 am

    It seems as if the first ransom note wants to convey all of the deeper meanings of the situation without fully committing to the threatening language. I get the idea that this ransom note (while ineffective) differs from the second note because if the police were to find the note or get involved, then there’s not much of a case to pin any certain criminal intent on the note writers. With that being said, I still am more likely to be intimidated and comply to the instructions if I were to receive the second note due to the second note’s clear-cut and threatening language.

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  6. anonymous123 says:
    February 7, 2023 at 10:17 am

    The first note doesn’t have a clear argument or claim and doesn’t communicate very well.
    The second one catches the readers attention right away and is very clear as to what you need to do and what would happen if you don’t do what is being asked of you.

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  7. Shazammm says:
    February 7, 2023 at 10:18 am

    Reply below how this comparison of two Ransom Notes helps you understand the value of very specific claims and illustrative language. :

    The first ransom note was wordy, illogical, and not straight-to-the-point. It was almost comical. When I read the second ransom note, however, it was short, clear, direct, and delivered its message successfully. Since ransom notes are supposed to threaten people, it is important to deliver a message that is direct and clear as possible. So the two examples given helped me differentiate what is good illustrative language and what is bad illustrative language. This can be applied to our papers.

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  8. inspireangels says:
    February 7, 2023 at 10:26 am

    The two ransom notes assist me in better understanding the value of very specific claims and illustrative language because when comparing these two ransom notes the last one had more a clear and direct claim about the directions while the first one was way too wordy and the person reading it could of easily be confused about what is being asked

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  9. rowanstudent6 says:
    February 7, 2023 at 5:17 pm

    The first ransom note is vague and wordy which makes the note confusing on the condition of the husband as well as the needs of the captors. The second ransom note is shorter and more concise, but provides more details and insight into the situation. This teaches a valuable lesson about making claims in writing as it is better to be short and clear than long and wordy.

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  10. chickennugget246 says:
    February 7, 2023 at 7:02 pm

    This comparison of two ransom notes helped me understand the value of very specific claims and illustrative language by demonstrating what encompasses a good or bad ransom note. To write a good ransom note, you need a good argument. We have to have a bold, clear thesis, step by step proof, and specific details to emphasize our reasoning. The first ransom note was a horrible example and had a terrible argument. It had no clear premise, was not logical, and did not have many details within it. A ransom note should have bold, clear claims and be a persuasive argument. The second ransom note was way better since it had a clear thesis and was full of specific details and claims. This helped me better understand the value in making specific/clear claims within a paper and making sure to provide details and evidence to support those claims.

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