Lesson 4: Assertions, Claims, and their Evidence

• Assertions


  are claims or opinions
• both assertion and opinion need to be substantiated with proof, otherwise, it will be rendered invalid
• An assertion contains more intensity and forcefulness on the part of the speaker
• Controversial claims if unchecked or unverified, can damage people’s reputation, make others believe in false information, and lessen credibility.
• Controversy is a situation in which people express disagreement, dissent, disgust, dislike, or even hate
• In terms of reading, controversies arise from the way people react to the ideas of the writers
• Causes of Controversial Claims

  • Go against popular belief
  • Attack or criticize others
  • Introduce something that is not accepted in a culture
  • Do not include proof or evidence of their claims
• An educator named Dr. Allan de Guzman suggests that we should express our claims immediately beside or next to the support
• Before believing in something, like a claim made in a text, we must first validate it using textual evidence
• Textual evidence

  • refers to proof or evidence cited within the text
  • near the claim and must be logically related to the claim
  • must be from credible sources and must be based on facts
• Counterclaim is given by a reader who has views that are different from what the author believed in
• Counterclaim is also an assertion, an opinion, and also needs proof
• What makes a counterclaim valuable

  • Counterclaims enrich a discussion or discourse about a certain topic because they help present the different sides of an issue.
  • Other people’s ideas are significant to get a full picture of the matter.
• Tips in Writing Counterclaims

  • Stick to the argument
  • Be respectful
  • Be tactful
  • Do not use fallacious statements
• Do not forget to state the claim that you are counterclaiming