1. Identifying Positions, Claims, and Support

2. We all have opinions. Examples: “I don’t like Mountain Dew.”
“I love Dancing with the Stars.”
“The think the University of North Carolina is the best college in the country.”

3. If we are asked whether we like or do not like something, we often “support” our opinions with claims that are based on personal experience. This is fine in informal discussions, but to make an ARGUMENT, which is different from expressing an opinion, we must have support with verifiable (provable) evidence.

4. Opinion can be based on personal experience as well as facts and statistics.
Facts can be proven true.
Arguments must be supported by verifiable (provable) evidence and reasons.

5. When developing an argument, you must have:
Position- statement of opinion
Claim- support used to defend a position
Evidence- verifiable facts/examples that can be proven