ANSWER QUESTION

Claims, Claims, Claims

A claim persuades, argues, convinces, proves, or provocatively suggests something to a reader who may or may not initially agree with you. What most non-academics mean by argument is usually a polar opposition or heated debate: I win/you lose; you’re a Democrat/I’m a Republican; I’m for the death penalty/you’re a bleeding-heart liberal against the death penalty; I’m pro-choice/you’re against choice. Though academic arguments can be just as heated and draw on political, social, cultural, or personal positions and experiences, academic claims are different—often more complex, nuanced, specific, and detailed. Most academic argument is bounded by what is considered debatable or up for inquiry within a discipline, acknowledging that some questions are already settled (though that too may end up being debatable).

The “rules‟ of academic argument EXCLUDE the following as support evidence:

• Because it is my personal opinion • Because my friends or relatives think so or most people think so • Because it’s always been, it’s tradition • Because it’s obvious • Because it’s morally right

What a Claim Is

üA claim is the main argument of your post or essay. It is probably the single most important part of your piece. The complexity, effectiveness, and quality of the entire post or essay hinges on the claim. If your claim is boring or obvious, the rest of the piece probably will be too.

üA claim defines your post’s goals, direction, and scope. It needs to be supported by evidence: argumentation, expert opinion, statistics, and telling details.

üA claim must be argumentative. When you make a claim, you are arguing for a certain interpretation or understanding of your subject.

üA good claim is specific. It makes a focused argument (MTV‟s popularity is waning because it no longer plays music videos) rather than a general one (MTV sucks).

Why Descriptive Statements are NOT Arguable Claims

Following are examples of descriptive statements, but they are not arguable claims. Each is drawn from the top-scoring AP English Language and Composition papers posted on the College Board website:

• Descriptive, “Global climate has increased 1.53 degrees Fahrenheit between 1880 and 2012.”

• Descriptive, “Bigfoot sightings have occurred across the world.”

These are NOT argumentative claims because the writers’ statement is DESCRIPTIVE. The writer is describing some aspect of the main text, and that’s all their doing. It’s like saying, “Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a play about two star crossed lovers and two warring families.” Yes, that is a true statement, but you are not making an arguable claim, like, “Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet shaped the Hatfield and McCoy feud of the late 1700s.”

Instead, you might write:

• Arguable, “Global climate change is driven by human factors.” • Arguable, “Bigfoot sightings are evidence that bigfoot exists.”

Descriptive theses do not investigate anything, critique anything, or analyze anything. Descriptive claims also do not invite support and argument from outside of the central idea. These types of descriptive posts or papers do not allow you to apply what has been learned in the central text to other texts.

In conclusion, when you are writing posts, take a stand with an arguable claim, do not just make a description.

Excerpt from: the Odegaard Writing & Research Center http://www.depts.washington.edu/owrc Adapted from UW Expository Writing Program handouts. With minor changes by Stephen Thomas.