Text and Context Connections

Text and Context Connections: Claims in a Written

Text
To properly evaluate the ideas you have gathered while reading, you must be able to know the
different kinds of information which are explicit information and implicit information.
Two Kinds of Information:
 Explicit Information is the information stated in the text. Readers can see the piece of
information stated in the given passage.
 Implicit information is the information not directly presented in the text. As readers, we need
to read between the lines to understand the details that the writer is trying to tell us.

Critical reading enables you to distinguish the explicit and implicit information provided by the
author. Explicit information is information that is clearly stated in the text. Implicit, on the other
hand, are ideas suggested in the text but not directly stated. This is where the ability to make
inferences based on clues within the text is applied. Through proper identification of explicit and
implicit information, the critical reader can properly evaluate the claim/s made by an author.
Claims state the point or position of an author regarding a certain topic. The claim statement is
further proven by supporting details from various resources and reliable evidence. Tiongson
(2016) gave the following characteristics of good claims:
1. A claim should be argumentative and debatable. It is expected for a written text to yield
objections and opposite perspectives to appear for readers of a text that supports a certain stand
on a topic. Completely factual texts are not considered debatable.
2. A claim should be specific and focused. With the statement of claim limiting the scope of
the written text, it must be noted that claims must be focused on To properly evaluate the ideas
you have gathered while reading, you must be able to know the different kinds of information
which are explicit information and implicit information.
3. A claim should be interesting and engaging. It should capture the interest of readers at
first glance and encourage a healthy discussion on the topic.
4. A claim should be logical. The evidence supporting the claim must be reasonable at its
best.

Text and Context Connections: Claim of Fact

Claims of Fact are pieces of information which are grounded on reliable authority such as
science or history.
Claims of Fact relate to statements that can be easily verified and not dependent on a person's
preference. It also asserts that a condition has existed, is existing, or will exist and is based on
facts or data.
Facts that are universally accepted are not considered claim of fact but instead a statement of
fact.
Claims of Fact are often qualified by such terms as generally, probably, or as a rule. And,
to verify whether these statements are claim of fact or not, ask these questions:
Is it debatable? Is it verifiable? Is it specific? Can it be solve objectively?
Types of factual claims (generally "objective")
1. Factual / historical
2. Relational - causal connections
3. Predictive
Proof requires:
• sufficient and appropriate grounds
• reliable authority
• recent data
• accurate, typical data
• clearly defined terms -no loaded language
• a clear distinction between fact and inference

EXAMPLES OF CLAIMS OF FACT

 The oldest known disease in the world is leprosy.
 Generally, obesity causes health problems.
 Neil Armstrong was the first man to step on the moon.
 The first Mindanaoan President is Rodrigo Duterte.
 The earth is warming rapidly.

Text and Context Connections: Claim of Policy

 The Claim of Policy calls for some form of action.
 It states what the reader should or ought to do about a particular situation/topic.
The Claim of Policy advocates a specific course of action. It asserts that specific policies
should be instituted as solutions to problems. Claims of policy argue that certain conditions should
exist. Almost always "should" or "ought to" or "must" are included in this claim. Claims of Policy
are specific statements on procedures or laws that need to be modified based on certain issues or
conditions. Most of the time, claims of policy ask for plans of action to solve current problems.

Proof requires:
 Making proposed action (clear), need (justification), plan (must be workable), benefit
(advantages) consider opposition / counter arguments. Consider this statement, for example:
To attract more non-traditional students, this college must review and revise
its course offerings.
The given statement above is an example of a claim of policy. It calls on action for the college
referred to, regarding its course offerings to arrive at a workable conclusion which is to attract
more non-traditional students. The author may choose to elaborate on this course of action to
prove that this claim can work for the college.

EXAMPLES OF CLAIMS OF POLICY

 The mayor should suspend the classes today.
 You must send your children to public schools.
 The government should legalize medicinal marijuana.
 The Boy Scouts should not have to include gay scout leaders.
 Local Malls should not open during the general community quarantine.

Text and Context Connections: Claim of Value

 Claims of Value refer to statements that appeal to a person’s taste and morals or the sense
of what’s good and what’s bad.
 This type of claim weighs the values according to which is more desirable. Claim of value
deals with topics concerning moral, philosophical, or aesthetic aspects.
Claims of Value involve judgments and evaluations. It judges whether something is
good/bad, right/wrong, just/unjust, ethical/non-ethical, and others. We judge the worth of
something. It attempts to prove that some things are more or less desirable than others. Some
claims of value are simply expressions of taste, preferences, and prejudices. The most important
in proving claim of value is by establishing standards of evaluation.

Proof requires:
• Establishing standards of evaluation (i.e. a warrant that defines what constitutes instances of the
relevant value)
• note the priority of the value in this instance
• Establish the advantage (practical or moral) of your standards
• Use examples to clarify abstract values
 Use credible authorities for support
The famous saying, honesty is the best policy, is one good example of a claim of value. To
prove the statements validity, the author may elaborate on the examples that show how honesty
holds advantage over other policies and how it has been proven to be effective.

EXAMPLES OF CLAIMS OF VALUE

 It is better to be feared than loved.
 Cheating is not good.
 Gay marriage is immoral.
 Buying a house is a lot better than building it.
 Rock music sucks.
 The government is doing a great job during the Covid-19 pandemic.

To sum it up:
 A claim is a statement that is not considered accepted by all. It may be unverified or
controversial to a certain degree.
 There are claims rooted in history or science (claims of fact).
 There are claims that demand action because the present conditions for certain policies are no
longer effective (claims of policy).
 There are claims that assert the morality of an idea based on certain standards or preferences
(claims of value).