1. Types of Claims

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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

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

6. 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

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

8. 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?

9. 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

10. 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?

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

12. 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?

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

14. Claims of Value Organization Strategies Applied criteria
Topical organization
Narrative structure

15. 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

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

17. 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

18. 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

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