The Defensible Claim

Let's play a game! Spot the DON'T when crafting a defensible claim.

• Is it a DON'T to confuse personal opinion with an argument?

• Should we DON'T use ideas that are traditional or cliché?

• Is it a DON'T to make it obvious?

• Or are all these answers DON'Ts?

Pop Quiz! Which of these is NOT a golden rule for crafting a rock-solid claim?

• Rule 1: Your claim should be the star of your essay. If it's dull or predictable, your paper might be too.

• Rule 2: Your claim should be debatable. If everyone agrees with it, it's not a claim.

• Rule 3: Your claim should be specific. The more precise, the better.

• Rule 4: Your claim should be an opinion. If it's a fact, it's not a claim.

Organize these options into the right categories

Groups:

(a) Defensible Claim

,

(b) Not a Defensible Claim

• Children under the age of 12 should not be allowed to have social media profiles.

• The poem talks about the injustices that Indigenous people face.

• Romeo and Juliet is a play about two star crossed lovers and two warring families.

• The two passages given describe the swamp in very different lights.

• Lack of protein is the primary reason some people are unhealthy.

• Spending more than an hour per day on housework is a waste of time.

Pop Quiz! Which of these statements is telling a fib?

• Statement 1: A claim should be as broad as the horizon so that a mountain of evidence in the text will back up its argument.

• Statement 2: A claim shouldn’t spill all the beans because it “gives it all away” and poofs the suspense.

• Both are pulling your leg.

• Neither is telling a fib.

Pop Quiz! Can you tell us which of these statements about a claim is actually true?

• Option A: A claim should never be longer than a sentence. Is that right?

• Option B: A claim should be so obviously true or correct beyond a doubt that the reader “buys” the argument. Could this be it?

• Option C: A claim should be specific and clear. Sounds reasonable, doesn't it?

• Option D: A claim should be a little unclear to keep the reader hooked. Or is this the correct answer?