Types of Evidence

One of the most difficult components of 7th grade is the realization that you must "prove" what you are thinking. And proving a thought or an idea is difficult. Simply stating the idea is not enough. You must provide evidence to support your thinking.

Key Words

• evidence: the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.

There are 3 Types of Evidence:

• ANECDOTES: Anecdotes are very brief stories told to illustrate a point. Narrative essays are full of anecdotes, but you can use anecdotes in persuasive writing too. A carefully selected anecdote or two can help emphasize a claim or theme and can help make a personal connection to your readers. A good anecdote is brief, clear, powerful, and supportive of your position.
• Examples:
  • The story of a young boy who was accidentally killed because he found a gun in the home that belonged to his father might be used to argue for stricter gun safety measures.
  • The story of a woman using a gun to scare away an intruder in her home might be used to argue the importance of having access to guns for law-abiding citizens.

• EXPERT OPINIONS: Using an expert opinion is when you quote directly from a reliable, informed “expert” on a particular subject. Expert opinions can strengthen your persuasive argument because people see experts as knowledgeable, honorable, and authoritative. When citing an expert’s opinion, you might consider giving some background information about your expert, especially if the expert might be unfamiliar to your audience.
  • Examples:
    • Sanja Patel, head of the Institute of Crime Studies at the University of Michigan, said…
    • President of the NRA, the world’s largest guns rights organization, David Black said…
    • Lisa Jones, a leading gun control advocate who lost her son due to the accidental firing of a handgun, suggests…

• HARD EVIDENCE: Readers value “hard evidence” such as statistics, case studies, research projects, and facts. In most cases, current and objective data create the most powerful type of evidence. If you can show a chart, graph, or table from a reliable research study, it’s hard for your opponent to argue against facts. Remember to state who did the study, when the study was done, how the study was done, and most importantly, how the study helps your argument.
  • Examples:
    • a pie chart that shows the number of children’s deaths caused by accidental gun firings each year is the third largest type of accidental death in the U.S. More guns = more accidental deaths
  • a table that shows crime rates have decreased in areas where home gun ownership is higher. More guns = less crime.

Activity - In a blog post titled "Your Name No Current Event" provide an argument for why YOU should not have to write your next current event paper? Provide evidence supporting your answer.

Reflection: what type of evidence did you use in your argument?