Types of Claims

Understanding Claims Claims form the basis of any argument Categories for claims helps us understand the purposes and special features of argument Allows us to predict and anticipate features of the type of argument presented

Claims and Thesis Statements Every thesis statement will make a claim about your topic. Understanding the types of claims you can make will lead to more focused and effective thesis statements.

Get a Sense of the Purpose and Parts of Argument Divide the argument into parts Ask why the parts have been placed in this order Analyze the relationships among the parts

Types of Claims Claims of fact or definition Claims of comparison Claims of cause Claims of value Claims of policy

Claims of Fact Questions answered by claims of fact: Types of support Did it happen? It is true? Does it exist? Is it a fact? Types of support Factual Inductive reasoning – cites examples and then draws probable conclusions Analogies– comparisons Signs – past or present state of affairs Expert opinion

Claims of Fact Possible organizational strategies Chronological order Topical order Often stated near the beginning of the argument

Claims of Definition Questions Answered: What is it? What is it like? How should it be classified? How should it be interpreted? How does its usual meaning change in a particular context?

Claims of Definition Types of support Organization Strategies Reliable authorities and accepted sources Analogies Organization Strategies Comparison-and-contrast Topical Explain the controversy; give reasons for accepting one view

Claims of Cause Questions Answered: What caused it? Where did it come from? Why did it happen? What are the effects? What will probably be the results over the short and long term?

Claims of Cause Types of Support Factual data Statistics Analogies Literal Historical Signs of certain causes Induction Deduction

Claims of Value Questions Answered: Is it good or bad? How bad? How good? Of what worth is it? Is it moral or immoral? Who thinks so? What do those people value? What values or criteria should I use to determine its goodness or badness? Are my values different from other people’s values or from the author’s values?

Claims of Value Types of Support Appeals to values Motivational appeals Analogies Literal Figurative Quotations from authorities Induction Signs Definitions

Claims of Value Organization Strategies Applied criteria Topical organization Narrative structure

Claims of Policy Questions Answered: What should we do? How should we act? What should future policy be? How can we solve this problem? What concrete course of action should we pursue to solve the problem? Claims of policy tend to focus on the future

Claims of Policy Types of support Data Statistics Moral and commonsense appeals Motivational appeals Appeals to values Literal analogies Argument from authority Definition Deduction

Claims of Policy Organization Strategies Problem-Solution Problem described in sufficient detail so audience will want a solution Solution is spelled out Show how solution will work Show how solution is superior to any alternatives Visualization of how matters will be improved Ends with action step

Claims in Life Two or more types of claims may be present in one essay Look for the predominant claim The main purpose of the argument Types of support that may be used Possible organization strategies Claims follow a predictable sequence

Value of the Claims Useful to identify the claim and main purpose Help identify minor purposes Analyze issues Write a claim about an issue