College Composition / Unit 17 CMP 0410 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Connecting Evidence to the Claim
The idea
Connecting evidence to a claim means showing the reader the link between what the evidence says and what the writer argues.
In practice
Build the connection in order. First, state the claim the evidence will support. Second, introduce the evidence, naming its source so readers can judge its credibility. Third, present the evidence accurately and in no more detail than the point needs. Fourth, explain what the evidence shows, in your own words. Fifth, state how that finding supports the claim: why a reader who accepts the evidence should accept the point. Sixth, where needed, address a limitation of the evidence, such as a small sample, and say why it still supports the claim.
Where people slip
Readers do not always draw the conclusion the writer intends. A statistic about rising rents can support a claim about housing costs or a claim about landlord profits; the writer's explanation decides which point it serves.
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