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Understanding Claims 2

Every argument has a claim, an assertion that states the argument’s main idea or
position. A claim requires a defense — it has to state a position that some people might
disagree with and others might agree with, and it should provoke interest. Moving from
discussion of a topic to making claims means shifting from fact to opinion. For instance,
you might start by saying that you want to write about self- driving cars. That’s a subject. Section 1 / Understanding Claims
To make a claim, you have to state a position on self-driving cars. For instance:

Self-driving cars will have a catastrophic effect on the livelihood of people whose jobs
involve driving, such as taxi drivers, truckers, bus drivers, and delivery people.
Notice that the subject may be a single word or a phrase, but the arguable claim is stated
as a complete sentence.
It’s important to note that neither a published author nor a student writer is likely to
develop a strong claim without exploring a topic through reading about it, discussing it
with others, brainstorming, taking notes, and rethinking. You are only ready to develop
an informed position about a topic if you have looked thoroughly into it. For example,
let’s use the topic of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs in
high school. You will notice, first of all, that a simple statement of the topic — STEM — does
not indicate whether the writer has taken a position on the topic. Let’s consider several
statements related to STEM to see if they count as claims:
1. Many high schools have STEM programs to prepare students for further education and
careers.
2. STEM programs have grown in number and popularity in both public and private high
schools during the twenty-first century.
3. Unless STEM programs are expanded to STEAM to include the arts and humanities,
students will not receive a well-rounded education.

The first statement may be true, but it is easily verified and not arguable; thus, it is
simply a fact and not a claim. The second statement has more detail, but it’s easy to
verify whether it is true or not. Since it is not arguable, it is not a claim. The third
statement is a claim because it takes a position and makes a statement that is
arguable. It argues that an exclusive focus on STEM is too narrow and that the lack of
instruction in arts and humanities ultimately harms students by making them strong in
some subjects at the expense of others. There are those who would disagree with both
statements and those who would agree with both. Thus, it presents an arguable
position and is a viable claim.

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Uncorrected proofs have been used in this sample. Copyright © Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
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For review purposes only. Not for redistribution.
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