Build your answer
This lesson is about giving evidence to make your argument stronger. This will help you to score well in the GCAS, while also making you a better communicator.
Let's talk about arguments.
- What is an argument?
- What are the parts of an argument?
- How important is argumentation in the GCAS?
1. What is an argument?
An argument = a reason (or set of reasons) to support an opinion (an idea, action or theory).
- It can be simple.
- “I heard that pizza place is good. Let’s go have pizza!”
- It can be very complex.
- “I firmly believe that the economy is going to be in bad shape in the future because [multiple reasons]..."
2. Parts of an argument:
An argument consists of:
- a claim; and
- evidence and reasoning to support that claim.
3. How important is argumentation in the GCAS?
Very important!
- Part 1: Your opinion must be backed up with an argument.
- Part 2: Graphs must be analyzed and backed up with an argument.
- Part 3: The role-play's opinion and proposal must be backed up with an argument.
NOTE for Japanese students:
"Claim" in Japanese can mean "complaint", but that's not what we mean here. We mean something like "opinion".
- Is this a strong answer? Why or why not?
Question: Do you like your job?
Answer: I like my job. My work is interesting, my colleagues are nice, my office is conveniently located and the managers are good.
- Now try answering the same question:
Do you like your job?
1. This is not a strong answer.
Why? There is no evidence. Just five claims:
- I like my job.
- My work is interesting.
- My colleagues are nice.
- My office is conveniently located.
- The managers are good.
2. Now, put the question back to the student:
Do you like your job?
Note the evidence they use.
A. The difference between a claim and evidence.
Your teacher will say a sentence. You tell them if it is a claim or evidence.
B. Transition phrases to describe evidence.
There are different ways to introduce evidence. Here are some phrases. Do you know how to use each one?
1. For example...
2. In fact...
3. Given that...
4. For instance...
C. The 5 types of evidence.
Evidence can be:
- example;
- facts; (including statistics and data)
- anecdote;
- analogy/comparison; and
- expert or eyewitness testimony.
Use each one to answer this question again:
Do you like your job?
A. Claim vs. evidence
A claim is an opinion, and evidence is measurably or factually true.
Play: Claim or evidence?
Tell the student, "I'll say something, and you tell me if it's a claim or if it's evidence."
- My work is interesting. (Claim)
- I have a difficult job. (Claim)
- I have to answer around 80 emails every day. (Evidence)
- Tokyo is convenient. (Claim)
- Tokyo has hundreds of train stations. (Evidence)
-
You can usually walk to a train station in Tokyo within about 5 minutes. (Evidence)
The line between claims and evidence can be fuzzy.
If everyone agrees that Japanese food is amazing, then is that evidence? Maybe. It's quite a rabbit hole, so it's best avoided. You can point out that some opinions are evidence, such as personal ones. "I like sushi" is evidence because it's a fact; it's true.
B. Transition phrases to describe evidence.
Go through the list with your student. Ask them to make up sentences with each phrase.
C. The 5 types of evidence
Evidence can be:
- example;
- facts; (including statistics and data)
- anecdote;
- analogy/comparison; and
- expert or eyewitness testimony.
Take your time and try each one with your student. Go through each point and ask why they do/don't like their job.
- Examples are the most common types of evidence. Good examples are as specific as possible.
- Example:
Weak: I like my job. For example, meeting deadlines is exciting sometimes.
Strong: I like my job. For example, when I work hard to meet a deadline, I feel satisfied. My colleagues and my clients depend on me, so it's nice to meet deadlines for their sake, too.
- Facts (including statistics or data) are good if you have them.
- Example:
I like my job because I like working for a top-performing company. My company is in the Fortune 500 and our revenue has increased by more than 10% every year for the last 8 years.
- Anecdotes are very short stories. They can pique interest, build trust or set the context.
- Example:
I love my job. It was difficult at first—there was so much work to do, I had to stay up really late every night. One time I had just started a new project and had to catch up on it. So I stayed up all night reading the materials. But then the next day I was so tired, I forgot most of it and had to ask for help anyway!
4. An analogy/comparison explains an unknown point by comparing it to a known one.
Example:
The African dish maafe is a peanut stew. It's a little like an Indian curry, or the Thai soup, tom kha.
Example:
For me, being a consultant is like being a doctor. We understand problems and find solutions. Then we help the client get better.
5. Testimony is what other people have officially said.
Example:
According to Fortune magazine, my company is one of the top 10 companies to work for.
[Reasoning is how you connect the evidence to the claim. We’ll focus on that next time.]
A. Is this a strong answer? Analyze it.
Question: Do you like your job?
Answer: I love my job. I've been working here for 4 years. I'm a strategic consultant, so that means I investigate problems and solve them—I'm like a doctor, but for companies rather than people. My colleagues are great. I remember on my first day, so many people came and shook my hand. It made me feel really welcome.
How many claims are used? What evidence is used?
B. Now answer these questions using strong evidence:
- What are your greatest strengths?
- Do you think it's important to insure goods before shipping them?
- Is pay the best motivator?