IDENTIFYING

AND
ANALYZING
CLAIMS
 Claim

- the central argument or thesis statement of the text

- the writer’s point or position regarding the chosen topic
-it is what the writer tries to prove in the text by providing
details, explanations, and other types of evidence. It is
usually found in the introduction or in the first few
paragraphs of the text.
 The following are the
characteristics of good claims:

1. A claim should be argumentative and debatable.

Homeless people in Berkeley should be given access
to services, such as regular food donations, public
restrooms, and camping facilities, because it would
improve life for all inhabitants of the city.
2. A claim should be specific and focused.
Americans should eliminate the regular
consumption of fast food because the fast
food diet leads to preventable and expensive
health issues, such as diabetes, obesity, and
heart disease.
3. A claim should be interesting and engaging.
It is too late to save earth; therefore, humans
should immediately set a date for their
relocation to Mars where, with proper
planning, they can avoid issues of famine, war,
and global warming.
3. A claim should be logical.
Providing the youth with accessible and quality education is vital in
eradicating poverty, because education will give them a better chance of
finding jobs and providing for their families.
Marijuana has numerous medical applications, such as treating symptoms
of epilepsy, cancer, and glaucoma. Legalizing the use of marijuana in the
U.S. will greatly benefit the medical sector by giving physicians access to
this lifesaving drug.
Questions that will help you determine the
writer’s claim:
What is the author’s main point?
What is the author’s position regarding it?
1. Claims of Fact – state a quantifiable assertion, or a measurable
topic. They assert that something has existed, exists, or will exist
based on data. They rely on reliable sources or systematic procedures
to be validated; this is what makes them different from inferences.
– The ozone layer is becoming depleted.
– Increasing population threatens the environment.
– Global warming is a threat that must be addressed.
2. Claims of Value – assert something that can be qualified. They consist of arguments
about moral, philosophical, or aesthetic topics. These types of topics try to prove that some
values are more or less desirable compared to others. They make judgments, based on
certain standards, on whether something is right or wrong, good or bad, or something
similar.
– Public schools are better than private schools
– Science Fiction novels are more interesting to read than romance novels.
– Dogs make the best pets.
– Mercy Killing is immoral.
– Computers are a valuable addition to modern society.
– Viewing television is a wasteful activity.
3. Claims of Policy – posit that specific actions should be chosen as solutions to a
particular problem. You can easily identify a claim of policy they begin with should,
ought to, or must. They defend actionable plans, usually answer “how questions.”
– We should stop spending so much on prisons and start spending more on education
– Children in low-income families should receive medical insurance from the
government
– Social security should be distributed on the basis of need rather than as an
entitlement
– Every person in the United States should have access to health care
– Film-makers and recording groups should make objectionable language and subject
matter known to prospective consumers