AIR: Lesson - Claims, Evidence, and Warrants

Claims, Evidence, and Warrants

Perhaps the three most significant elements of argument,  however you structure your argument, are claims, evidence, and warrants. A quick review of these important terms:

  • Claims: An assertion or statement of belief that requires defense
  • Evidence: Support used to back the claim
  • Warrants: The inferred belief that connects the evidence to the claim

These three elements all work to create a sense of focus on the Main Argument. You can picture it like this:

A graphic showing Claims, Evidence and Warrants connecting to a main Argument.

Examples

Example 1:

  • Claim: The Tennessee Volunteers will be the College Football National Champions this year.
  • Evidence: They have the best defense in the rankings.
  • Warrant: Good defenses lead to championships.

Example 2:

  • Claim: Students should read at least 3 novels per year.
  • Evidence: Students who read at least 3 novels in a given year earned higher grades in school.
  • Warrant: Reading benefits students academically.

Remember that the warrant is rarely stated explicitly by the person making the argument. Furthermore, the warrant is ideally logical and ethical – that is, most people could make the inference. The evidence is stated clearly in the argument.

Practice Activity

In the activity below, select the inferred warrant to match the provided claim and evidence.

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