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Claim
Claim
Definition: A statement or assertion that expresses the main argument or point that the writer intends to prove or persuade the audience to accept. It serves as the foundation of an argument and is typically supported by evidence, reasoning, and examples throughout the piece. A claim is often reported as a fact.
** See Scientific Claim for Observations, Claims, Hypotheses, Theories, & Laws.
Characteristics of a Claim
Characteristics of a Claim
Debatable: A claim should be open to challenge and not a simple statement of fact. It should invite discussion and require defense through argumentation.
Specific: A good claim is clear and focused, providing a specific perspective or stance on an issue.
Supportable: A claim must be backed by evidence, such as data, examples, expert opinions, or logical reasoning, to convince the audience of its validity.
Central to the Argument: The claim is the core idea around which the entire argument is built. It guides the structure and content of the writing.
Types of Claims
Types of Claims
Claims in most arguments almost fall into one of these five categories: claims of fact, definition, cause, value, or policy.
Claims of Fact
Claims of Fact
Is it real? Is it a fact? Did it really happen? Is it true? Does it exist?
Gravity pulls objects toward the Earth.
Global warming is occurring.
There are serious restrictions on our Constitutional right to bear arms.
This type of essay will give facts, examples, and statistics relating to laws and policies that restrict the sale and use of firearms.
Claims of Definition
Claims of Definition
What is it? What is it like? How should it be classified? How can it be defined?
Non-consensual sex is rape.
Health care is a fundamental right.
Laws governing the sale of firearms such as assault weapons and handguns do not constitute an infringement on our right to bear arms.
This type of essay will focus on the Bill of Rights and its clause about the right to bear arms. It will argue for a particular definition that excludes the writing of laws that relate to the ownership of firearms.
Claims of Cause or Effect
Claims of Cause or Effect
How did this happen? What caused it? What led up to this?
Racial profiling and excessive force by police caused the Black Lives Matter Movement.
Extreme weather events and changing weather patterns can be linked to global warming.
Tougher laws governing the sale of handguns would mean a decrease in the number of homicides each year.
This type of essay will seek to establish a link between difficulty in obtaining a handgun and a drop in the homicide rate. It will use statistics, facts, and analogies from other places where similar policies have been enacted.
Claims of Quality or Value
Claims of Quality or Value
Is it good or bad? Beneficial or harmful? Moral or immoral?
Social media is bad for democracy.
The right to bear arms is still an important civil right in the United States.
This type of essay will appeal to people’s sense of the value of gun ownership. It will probably appeal to authorities, such as the Constitution, to history, and to long-held customs.
Claims of Policy
Claims of Policy
What should we do? What policy should we adopt?
The prison industrial complex should be abolished.
Every person in the United States should have access to affordable health care.
The sale of assault weapons in the United States should be banned.
The Austin City Council should forbid police from pursuing suspects or using lethal force unless the initial alleged crime is a felony in order to end police brutality by avoiding unnecessary escalation, preventing accidents, and reducing systemic racism.
This type of essay will use a variety of motivational appeals and value proofs, analogies, facts and statistics, cause/effect arguments, and appeals to authorities to prove that this is a favorable course of action.
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