1. Claim Statements
English II

2. What is a Claim Statement?
For an academic claim to be worthy of a place in your essay, it should be complex, debatable, supported by research, and focused on the facts.
NO OPINION ALLOWED.
A claim persuades, argues, convinces, proves, or suggests something to a reader who may or may not initially agree with you.

3. Steps to Develop a Claim
STEP #1 Figure out your general topic
Start general with the issue
and decide on the subject matter
Example: healthcare system

4. Steps to Develop a Claim
STEP #2 State Your Topic as a Question
Pose the issue as a question—a question that will be answered through the position they take.
Ask yourself, “what is my position regarding the subject matter?”
Example: Should the current healthcare system
be changed?

5. Steps to Develop a Claim
STEP #3 Turn Your Question into a Position:
Your claim should invite continued debate
by taking a strong position that could be
argued. So, answer your question (this is
your position) and give your reasons (not
your specific evidence but generic reasons),
and you will have a nice, clear main claim.
Example: The current healthcare system does not adequately assist Americans due to too much unnecessary care and cutting Medicaid. (Value Claim)

6. Steps to Develop a Claim
STEP #4 Address a Solution to Your Claim:
Now, indicate what needs to be done. This
should be a general solution. Save the
specifics for later in the essay.
Example: Because the current healthcare system does
not adequately assist Americans due to too much unnecessary care and cutting Medicaid, it should be reformed. (Solution Claim)

7. Your Claim Should Look Like This!
1. Standardized tests are not a fair assessment of students’ knowledge in the classroom and do not show students’ academic strengths and weaknesses; therefore, colleges should not consider testing scores over a student’s overall GPA.
-OR-
2. Standardized tests add unnecessary, negative stress to both students and teachers; thus, they should no longer be mandatory for students to take in order to graduate high school.