How To Write A Claim? The Complete Guide In Easy Words

Students often wonder how to write a claim. Some are even confused between the claim and thesis statement. Essay writing is a regular academic activity & usually argumentative and persuasive essays need you to include a claim statement.

Claim statements in an argumentative essay support the thesis statement. But the claim statement is not fact similar to the thesis.

And, when a claim is not a fact, it needs supporting evidence. Evidence is the factual information to support the claim paragraph.

Are you getting confused? No more worries!

In this educational blog, we will learn what is a claim. How to write a claim? What is a claim in the thesis? Types of claims?

And most importantly, how to craft different types of claims. 

What Is A Claim?

The claim is the main argument of the academic paper. A good claim is a crucial part of the essay. Claim in writing supports the paper’s goal, scope, and direction. The main argument or idea of the claim is supported by providing evidence.

Claim in writing is usually argumentative. Using good claims, you can present focused arguments and draw more attention from the readers.

Academic claims are usually complex and require more specific research on the subject.

In simple words, claims are a matter of opinion. However, they are stated as they are factual and backed up with evidence.

Whenever you make a debatable statement in the essay backed up with facts or pieces of evidence while making a claim. Meanwhile, discover more here about the best tips to make a study spot at home.

Statement vs Claim

Argumentative claims don’t need to be complex. But they should be more than just fact-based statements; obviously, they should be true. Also, claims should be statements that are open for debate.

As a writer, you must effectively argue in support of your claim. The examples below will help you review a claim in writing or an essay.

Statement

If you start an essay by stating, “Too many carbohydrates.”  This is not a good example of a claim in writing, not even a debatable statement. Readers may assume that you are talking about yourself. Moreover, it’s a very generic statement, and there is nothing arguable in it.

Claim

If you open by stating, “Students are consuming too many carbohydrates these days, and they should consume a balanced diet.” This is one of the argumentative claims.

Not everyone will agree on this. Now your essay must provide evidence in support of your claim. It will make your supporting point more strongly.

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Types Of Writing That Uses Claim

College students need to write claims in different types of writing. In the professional world also, claims in writing prevailed. Some of the writing examples that use claims are:

•     Argumentative Essays: These types of essays focus on controversial and debatable issues. Many writers provide strong evidence to prove their point in such essays.
•     Research Papers: Academic papers or research essays are explicitly crafted to provide evidence to confirm or refute the claim or hypothesis. It generally discusses a single issue to prove or discard the writer’s opinion.
•     Literary Analysis: In literary analysis, the writer usually claims about the literary work. Then they provide evidence to support their main claim.
•     Persuasive Essays: Persuasive essays are a type of argumentative writing. Here the fact-based information & supporting evidence is presented to back the writer’s claim paragraph.
  
•     Persuasive Speeches: Persuasive speeches are delivered orally, but many orators start with an outline and claim arguments backed by supporting evidence.
•     Persuasive Memos: This type of writing is designed to persuade readers to believe or act on the claim statement backed up by a strong argument. 

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What Is Evidence In An Essay Writing

To back the claim statement in writing, writers need to prove it with evidence. Evidence is the additional information that proves your main idea or initial claim.

The claim statement should offer a logical conclusion. That shows you concluded after reviewing multiple aspects and reliable evidence.

You don’t want your readers simply believe your claims just because you are taking a strong stand. Providing valid evidence and settled facts in the research paper help readers reach their own conclusions.

Evidence in support of the claim statement can be of many types:

•     Personal observation of the phenomena or occurrence.
•     Initial research based on experiment or content analysis.
•     Reviewing secondary research like a literature review.
•     Evidence-based on facts, statistics, and additional information.
•     Data was collected from the investigative interviews.
•     Taking the opinion of experts on the topic.
•     Examples of behavior in the past.

Always remember the statements given above are usually accepted as facts. You may agree with a few statements; however, you might not agree with the others. Each example given above is a matter of personal opinion.

Similarly, you can read our blog 500+ words to start a paragraph and use the words of your choice.

If you use any of these, you must back up your main idea with evidence to prove your position. Readers will decide whether they agree with your position or claim thesis. Their decisions are also based on their own knowledge about the topic or claim statement. 

Need to know how to write footnotes vs endnote for your thesis paper, then read this blog.

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Different Types Of Claims

There is a possibility that all types of claims may not come under these categories. However, our experts have tried their best to classify them into different kinds. Knowing the types of claims will surely help you write a claim statement in a more debatable way.

Claims Of Fact or Definition

It includes arguing the definition of things or the settled fact.  

Claim Statement:

“The people refer to global warming as nothing but the natural phenomenon, and it happens because of long-term cycles of climatic changes.”

Claims About Cause & Effect

The argumentative claims demonstrate a particular person or thing caused an issue.

Claim Statement:

“No Child Is Left Behind Act” is the prime reason more children are left behind.”

Claims About Value

Presenting the arguments that something is worth a specific value or we should rate it in the correct way.

Claim Statement:

“Teachers should be more concerned whether the students have learned properly and are ready for the next level and less concerned with the passing grades.”

Claims About Solutions or Policies

Making arguments in support or against the specific policy.

“Instead of spending millions of dollars on drilling oil mines, we must focus on reducing the oil consumption and promote renewable energy sources.”

How Long Should A Claim Be?

The claim statement helps you present your definitive claim in one or two sentences. It should present the topic sentence of your essay or research paper. Claim in writing also allows you to take the position on the topic sentence.

The thesis statement should tell the readers what your paper is all about. It also acts as a guide and helps you present focused arguments. The basic rule is to keep your claim statement in the introductory paragraph of your essay.

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How To Write A Claim Statement?

1. Chose The Topic of Your Interest

This is the most important point while crafting the claim statement. In case a topic is not given, you can select the one for you. Select the one which interests you and is close to your heart. Your efforts in writing a claim paragraph will be more fruitful if you are interested in the topic.

Once you have selected a topic, explore one narrow subject so that you make arguments on it. The claim writer should research the various aspects of the subject and pick a few that help you prove the claim.

For example, if your topic is about cell phones, you can take health and technology as two subjects. Which you can use to prove how cell phones are affecting health.

2. Set A Question & Answer It With Your Thesis

A thesis, in a usual sense, can be a problem or a solution. So, whatever your subject is, you can write your thesis to answer the particular problem or question.

Think about all the important factors of the question and craft the best and shortest possible answer. It can be an argument, fact, or definition that can be the main idea of your thesis. 

For example, you can ask, “Why should we need online shopping for our daily requirements? The thesis or claim statement to this question is, “Online shopping makes shopping comfortable, easier, and less time-consuming so that we can focus on more productive tasks.”

 3. Define the Goal Of Your Paper

The type of claim you will write depends upon your essay’s goal. If your article is argumentative, you will make arguments and sub-claims that will try to change people’s opinions.

For example, you can write, “Without well-calculated and insightful decisions of the president, the USA would have never been able to cater to the economic crisis that happened in the early 2000s.”

In this claim example, you are setting up an opinion like – overcoming the difficult economic situations and claiming it with a supporting point well calculated and insightful decisions taken by the US president.

4. Take A Stand For One Issue

When composing an argumentative thesis or definition literature, you must take a stand on one main idea or issue. However, you may be discussing various issues and multiple aspects, but address the single issue with more attention.

It is the main idea or value claim around which your entire essay will revolve. Follow that single issue throughout the paper.

Let’s understand this by an example. We can write a claim: “Two groups of the world were involved in the world war, which was the axis and allies. But allies fought to save humanity and freedom while axis nations fought to rule the world.”

In this claim paragraph, you are supporting the stand of the allies, other you will be proving axis powers were responsible for the most destructive war of the century.

5. Take A Different Approach To The Topic

To make your claim sustainable and interesting, you should take a different approach while making the arguments. Use a unique and fresh way to present your opinions, facts, and definitions.

The thesis crafted with a distinct argument can attract more readers and keep them hooked throughout the paper.

For example, “Though nuclear weapons have an important role in keeping world powers away from war, they must be destroyed to ensure world peace.”

In the meantime, explore all about commemorative speech. 

How To Place The Claim Properly In The Paper?

The claim statement is the most important aspect of your essay; that’s why you must place it in the most important place. Most importantly, you must place it where your readers expect it, and that’s the beginning of the paper.

But that doesn’t mean you should place it at the very beginning or in the first sentence. You should place the claim at the end of the first paragraph. You can also place it in the introduction section.

The placement of the claim in an essay or research paper also depends upon the length of your entire essay. But, you should place it in the paper where your readers don’t need to read too much to get the claim.

Keep your claim statement short and precise, ideally of one or two lines. Your readers must understand your point without much confusion. That’s why don’t use two long and complex statements while crafting the claim.

Make it easy and interesting so that readers understand the final fact. Your claim statement is successful only when readers further read your essay. Now you know how to write a claim? Let’s see some more important aspects of the claim.

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