Reading Skill Lesson Evaluating Evidence

Evaluating an Argument with Evidence To properly evaluate an argument, you need to understand a writer’s claim and the evidence he or she uses to support it. Knowing the difference between a factual claim and a commonplace assertion will help you determine if the writer’s evidence is adequate.

Factual Claims Statements that can be proven by observation, an expert, or other reliable sources. They should not be accepted without evidence to back them up! Ex: Slaves are men.

Opinions Statements of personal belief, feeling, or thought, which do not require proof EX: It is wrong to make students do homework.

Commonplace Assertions Statements that are many people assume to be true, but are not necessarily so. Generalizations about life or human nature often fall into this category. Ex: One bad apple can spoil the bunch.