An argument in writing is not a quarrel and not an opinion with decoration. It is a claim, supported by reasons and evidence, that also deals fairly with the strongest opposing view. In grades 9-10 you are asked to write arguments that introduce precise claims, distinguish them from alternate or opposing claims, and support each with logical reasoning and relevant evidence. Here is how the parts fit.
Start with a precise claim
A claim is a statement a reasonable person could dispute. That is the test: if nobody could disagree, there is nothing to argue.
- Not arguable: "Many students use phones at school."
- Arguable but vague: "Phones are bad."
- Precise: "Our school should let students use phones at lunch, but not during class."
The precise version says who should do what, and where the limit is. It also suggests the structure of the essay: reasons it should be allowed at lunch, and reasons it should stay banned in class.
Support with reasons, then evidence
A reason explains why the claim is true. Evidence shows that the reason holds. Each paragraph usually pairs one reason with evidence and an explanation of how the evidence supports it. Useful kinds of evidence include:
- facts and data from credible sources,
- examples from your own observation or interviews,
- statements from experts, with the source named,
- a logical step from something your reader already accepts.
Evidence has to be relevant and sufficient. One striking example is not enough, and a fact that does not touch the claim is filler. After presenting evidence, add a sentence that says what it shows. Readers should never have to guess how a quotation proves your point.
Address the counterclaim
A counterclaim is the best argument against you. Skipping it makes a writer look unaware or unfair. Handling it well makes you more convincing. The pattern has three moves:
- State it fairly, in words the other side would accept.
- Concede what is true in it, if anything.
- Respond with evidence or reasoning that shows why your claim still stands, or why a limit on it answers the concern.
A short model
Below is one body paragraph for the lunch-phone claim. The details are an invented example for practice.
Some teachers worry that phones at lunch will lead to phones in class. That concern is reasonable: a rule is only worth having if it can be enforced. But the proposal draws a clear line at the classroom door, and a clear line is easier to enforce than a total ban, because students can see the reason for it. A school could add a simple consequence, such as handing the phone to the teacher for the rest of the period. If a student in our school wants to check on a sibling or answer a parent at 12:15, a lunch exception gives them a legitimate way to do so without breaking the rule.
Notice the moves. The first sentence states the counterclaim fairly. The second concedes. The rest responds with reasoning. If you added real evidence, such as a survey of 100 classmates or the policy of a nearby school, you would name it and explain what it shows. This model uses reasoning alone because it has no data to cite, and it does not invent any.
Worked example: revising a weak paragraph
Weak: "Homework is bad. Everyone hates it and it takes too long. Teachers should stop giving it."
Problems: the claim is vague (what kind of homework? all of it?), "everyone hates it" is not evidence, and there is no counterclaim.
Revised: "Teachers should limit homework to work that cannot be done in class, because assignments repeated at home often take time without teaching anything new. Supporters of homework argue that it builds study habits. That is a fair point, and a limited amount still builds the habit. But when students spend an hour copying definitions they already know, the habit they build is finishing, not learning." This version has a precise claim, a reason, a fair counterclaim with a concession, and a response.
Organization and tone
- Open with the claim and enough context for a reader who knows nothing about the issue.
- Order your reasons so the strongest comes first or last, not buried in the middle.
- Use transitions that show relationships: because, however, although, as a result.
- Keep a formal, objective tone. Avoid insults and sweeping words such as "always" and "everyone."
- End with a conclusion that follows from the argument and says why it matters, not a copy of your first paragraph.
Common mistakes
- Claim with no reason. "I believe X" followed by more belief.
- Evidence dumped without explanation. Always say what it shows.
- A weak or imaginary counterclaim. Choose the strongest opposing view, not one that is easy to knock down.
- Appeals to feeling alone. Emotion can support a point, but it cannot replace reasoning.
- Overstating. A claim that says "never" or "all" is easy to disprove with one exception.
Practice ELA Grades 9-10 questions with an explanation for every answer, or read the guide to California ELA Grades 9-10 practice.
Source: the California Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, W.9-10.1.