10.8 The Sports Gene and Writing

As Well as Claims, Evidence, and Bpdy Paragraph Writing

The Sports Gene

The Text

A claim in writing is a statement or assertion that someone makes about a particular topic. It’s essentially an idea or opinion that the writer believes to be true and wants to convince others of. A claim can be seen as the main point that the writer is trying to get across, and it often serves as the foundation for an argument or discussion. To make a claim effective, a writer usually provides evidence to support it. This evidence can come from facts, statistics, expert opinions, examples, or personal experiences. For instance, if someone claims that reading improves vocabulary, they might include studies showing that regular readers have a larger vocabulary than those who don’t read often. A claim is like a thesis statement in an essay. It's the main idea that guides the writing and helps the reader understand what the writer is trying to say. Good claims are clear, debatable, and supported by strong evidence.

A Claim

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Evidence is information or facts that support a claim or argument. It helps to prove that something is true or valid. When we make a claim, we are stating our opinion or belief about something. However, just saying what we believe is not enough; we need evidence to back it up. Evidence can come in many forms. It might be data from a research study, statistics, expert opinions, examples, or quotes or paraphrases from a text, even personal experiences. For example, if someone claims that exercise improves mood, they could support this claim by providing research studies that show a link between physical activity and feelings of happiness. When we use evidence with a claim, it strengthens our argument. Think of it like building a house: the claim is the structure, and the evidence is the foundation that keeps it sturdy. Without strong evidence, a claim can be weak and unconvincing. Evidence is essential because it adds credibility to our claims.

Evidence

Evidence is information or facts that support a claim or argument. It helps to prove that something is true or valid. When we make a claim, we are stating our opinion or belief about something. However, just saying what we believe is not enough; we need evidence to back it up. Evidence can come in many forms. It might be data from a research study, statistics, expert opinions, examples, or quotes or paraphrases from a text, even personal experiences. For example, if someone claims that exercise improves mood, they could support this claim by providing research studies that show a link between physical activity and feelings of happiness. When we use evidence with a claim, it strengthens our argument. Think of it like building a house: the claim is the structure, and the evidence is the foundation that keeps it sturdy. Without strong evidence, a claim can be weak and unconvincing. Evidence is essential because it adds credibility to our claims.

Evidence

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Elaboration is the part of writing where you explain or add more detail to the evidence you’ve given to support your claim. It’s important because it helps show why the evidence matters and how it connects to the main point of your paragraph. Elaboration lets you break down the evidence, showing its meaning and how it proves your point. By doing this, you help the reader understand not just what the evidence is, but why it supports your argument, making your writing clearer and more convincing.

Elaboration

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In writing, using a clear structure helps make your ideas easier to understand and more persuasive. A common structure includes the following elements:

• Topic Sentence (TS): Introduces the main idea of the paragraph, letting the reader know what the paragraph will be about. It is often a claim.
• Concrete Detail (CD): Provides evidence or examples that support the topic sentence, such as facts, quotes, or data.
• Commentary (CM): Offers analysis, interpretation, or explanation of the concrete detail, showing why the evidence is important. This is the first place you explain how the evidence supports your main idea.
• Commentary (CM): Adds more analysis or explanation to further strengthen your point and link the evidence to the claim.
• Concluding Sentence (CS): Summarizes the paragraph, reinforces the main idea, and leaves the reader with a strong final thought.

The Structure of a Body Paragraph

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