1.2 Examining how evidence supports a claim

Welcome to Topic 1.2! In this guide, we will explore how pieces of evidence can support a claim.

What is a Claim?

A claim is a statement or argument made in an essay or other written work. It can be a statement of fact, an interpretation, a value judgment, or a policy proposal. The purpose of making a claim is to take a stance on an issue and to support that stance with evidence and reasoning. The claim is typically the essay's central argument or main idea, and the rest of the essay is used to support and develop the claim.

What is Evidence?

Evidence refers to the facts, examples, statistics, or other information used to support a claim or argument in an essay or other written work. The purpose of using evidence is to strengthen the claim by providing specific and relevant information that supports the argument. Evidence can include direct quotations or summaries of information from primary texts, secondary sources, statistics, expert testimony, examples from personal experience or observations, and so on. The evidence must be incorporated logically and clearly and be credible and relevant to the claim.

How Does Evidence Support a Claim?

Evidence can support a claim by providing specific, relevant, and credible information that helps demonstrate the claim's truth or validity and advance an argument. 

To support a claim, evidence should be directly related to the claim. It should establish a causal relationship between the claim and the evidence. For example, if the claim is that a certain policy will reduce crime, evidence that crime rates have decreased in similar jurisdictions where the policy has been implemented can support the claim.

It is also essential to use different types of evidence, such as facts, statistics, expert opinions, and examples, to provide a well-rounded and convincing argument. Evidence should be used in a way that is logical and clear, with transitions between pieces of evidence that help to establish connections and build a strong argument.

TL;DR

It is important to use evidence in a way that is logical and clear, with transitions between pieces of evidence that help to establish connections and build a strong argument. Using evidence to support claims helps to demonstrate your understanding of the text in the AP exam's free-response section.