Identify Claims of Fact, Policy and Value What are claims? • This claim is what the writer tries to prove in the text by providing details, explanations, and other types of • The claim is the most important part of the text. • The quality and complexity of the reading depend on the claim because the claim defines the paper’s direction and scope. • The claim is a sentence that summarizes the most important thing that the writer wants to say as a result of his/her thinking, reading, or writing. evidence. Characteristics of a good claim • 1. A claim • 2. A claim • 3. A claim • 4. A claim should be should be should be should be argumentative and debatable. specific and focused. interesting and engaging. logical. Explicit and implicit EXPLICIT • It is directly and clearly stated in the text. It is when you can easily point out the information in the passage. IMPLICIT • It is indirectly expressed in the text and you need to look for clues or make inferences to understand its meaning. • Example text • "Congratulations, Rosie! Your parents must be proud of you." The teacher greeted her with delight. It was graduation day and Rosie managed to stand on stage and delivered her speech in front of her fellow graduates and guests. She ended her speech thanking her Alma mater and her parents and said, "Let us trust God's plan.“ Rosie left the stage with tears in her eyes as the clicking of the medals could be heard from afar. As she approached her parents, they kissed her and gave her a big hug and uttered, "We love you, dear! Your success is our success. We will surely celebrate at home." Analyzation 1. The teacher congratulated Rosie. This sentence is EXPLICIT because it was stated directly in the first sentence. 2. Rosie stood on stage and delivered her speech. This sentence is EXPLICIT because it was stated directly in the third sentence. 3. Rosie was full of happiness. This sentence is IMPLICIT because it was stated indirectly in the text. You need to make an inference that Rosie was full of happiness because she led the stage with teary eyes after she delivered her graduation speech. Analyzation 4. Rosie was a hardworking and intelligent student. This sentence is IMPLICIT because it was stated indirectly in the text. You need to make an inference that Rosie was a hardworking and intelligent student because she received the highest honor. 5. The parents of Rosie promised to celebrate her success. This sentence is EXPLICIT because it was stated directly in the last sentence of the last paragraph. Claim of Fact • A claim of Fact is a statement that report, describe, predict, and make causal claims. • It asserts that something has existed, exists, or will exist based on the data. • It relies on reliable sources or systematic procedures to be validated through science or history. Claim of Fact To help you thoroughly identify the claim of facts, here are some of the determining questions: • Did it happen? v Does it exist? • It is true? • How can its truthfulness verify? • Is it a fact? Claim of Fact CLAIM • Based on the definition and characteristics of the claim of fact, let us consider the following examples. 1. The death penalty does not deter crime. • It reports • It can be refuted and justified • It can be proven 2. Violence on television influences children to behave violently. • It makes causal claim • It can be validated • It can be proven Claim of Fact 3. Pandemic-level diseases come from viruses found in wildlife. • Arguably/ debatable • Can be objectively proven Here are some ways how to defend a Claim of Fact: • State your claim clearly. • Provide a brief explanation or definition for words that may be unfamiliar to some readers. • Cite recent, accurate, and sufficient evidence. • Organize the evidence in a logical way. • Reiterate the claim or thesis at the end. What is a claim of policy? • A claim of policy is a specific statement on procedures or laws that need to be modified based on certain issues or conditions. • It suggests that specific actions should be done or chosen as solutions to a particular problem. Claim of Policy Most of the time, claims of policy ask for plans of action to solve current problems. • It proposes that action be taken or discontinued. • It defends actionable plans and usually answers "how" questions. • It contains auxiliaries such as "should, ought to, must". The following are the determining questions for evaluating a claim of policy: • Does the claim suggest a specific remedy to solve the problem? • Is the policy clearly defined? • Is the policy the best one? For Whom? According to whose standard? • What would be the possible benefits? Let us consider the examples below: 1. National ID system must be implemented in the Philippines for better general transactions. 2. Anti-terror Law must be amended. 3. In order to slow down the spread of a highly contagious disease like COVID-19, proper health protocols should be strictly implemented. The following guidelines can help you defend your claim of policy: • Convince your audience that a problem exists • Make your proposal clear • Establish that there is a need for a change • Consider the opposing arguments • Devote the major part of your essay to tell that your claim is an answer to the • opposing arguments • Support your proposal with solid data, but don't neglect the moral consideration and the common-sense reasons, which is persuasive Claim of value • Are arguable statements. • Discussions normally happen when one attempts to prove that something is more or less desirable then the other Claim of value • Aesthetic and moral arguments are value claims. • Statements on the quality of a particular work of art fall under aesthetics while claims justifying the rightness or wrongness of some actions are moral claims • Claim of value or judgment is made based on morality, belief, ethics, or philosophy. • Also based on likes or dislikes, good or bad ~ • Usually compares 2 ideas against one another The following are the determining questions for evaluating claim of policy: • Does it appeal to your judgment? • Is it right or wrong? • Which one is bad or good? • Which one is more important, and why? • Whose standards are used? Examples: 1. Bullying will never be right. 2. Security is more important than privacy. 3. In the midst of a pandemic, restriction is much better than individual freedom. 4. Fake news is not worthy of our attention. 5. Discriminating our front liners who save our lives does not make sense.
