Elements of a Written Argument

(Claims, Evidence, & Explanation)

Parts:1. Claim: a point you are arguing

(based on your inferences!).

2. Evidence: the sources you use to support your claim (these are your observations!)

3. Explanation: the reasoning for why your evidence supports your claim.

Example:Claim: The theme of the story is that “love is more valuable than money.”

To write my claim, I look at my inferences and turn them into

a clear statement. My evidence is a description of what happened in the text paired with a direct quote.

Evidence: The main character, Jane, becomes a wealthy architect, but is still unhappy. On page 200 she says, “I just bought a new vacation home in Paris…so why am I still so miserable?”

Example:Claim: The theme of the story is that “love is more valuable than money.”

Evidence: The main character, Jane, becomes a wealthy architect, but is still unhappy. On page 200 she says, “I just bought a new vacation home in Paris…so why am I still so miserable?”

As the writer, YOU might understand how this evidence

supports the claim you made, but the reader can’t always make the

connection. There is one thing still missing from this argument:

EXPLANATION.

Example:Claim: The theme of the story is that “love is more valuable than money.”

Evidence: The main character, Jane, becomes a wealthy architect, but is still unhappy. On page 200 she says, “I just bought a new vacation home in Paris…so why am I still so miserable?”

Explanation: The fact that buying expensive and desirable things does not make Jane happy shows that money alone is not enough to make a person happy. There must be something missing from Jane’s life that she can’t simply purchase.

Explanation:The reasoning or rationale for why your evidence supports your claim is VERY important. Even when your evidence seems

to obviously support your claim, you should explain the connection to your reader as clearly as possible.

Example #2Claim: “Dora the Explorer is an educational T.V. show for kids.”

Time to gather evidence! Choose your evidence from

reliable sources. The evidence can be quoted,

paraphrased, or summarized.

Example #2Claim: “Dora the Explorer is an educational T.V. show for kids.”

Evidence 1: “Dora often uses colors and numbers to communicate various pieces of information to her young audience.”

You usually want to supply several pieces of evidence so that your

support is solid and more trustworthy.

Example #2Claim: “Dora the Explorer is an educational T.V. show for kids.”

Evidence 1: “Dora often uses colors and numbers to communicate various pieces of information to her young audience.”

Evidence 2: “The show uses simple words in English and Spanish to help unfold the plot.”

Add Explanation…Dora the Explorer is an educational T.V. show for kids. Dora often uses colors and numbers to communicate

various pieces of information to her young audience. The use of color and numbers helps prepare kids for the early

stages of learning in preschool and kindergarten. Early exposure to these basics units of knowledge helps

prepare children for their first few years in an educational setting. Additionally, the show uses simple words in

English and Spanish to help unfold the plot. The use of two languages in the show helps create young bilingual speakers. Early exposure to multiple languages will help

prepare kids for the more intensive language lessons they will experience during high school and college.