How to Write a Claim Sentence: How Long Is a Claim Sentence

Writing a claim is one of the essential parts of essay writing. It gives you a foundation to gather evidence and facts so that you can support your position. It’s just as important as the introduction and conclusion because it lays out what you will discuss in your essay.

Essentially, a claim sentence is a solid base that supports the structure of your argument. Without it, your argument will collapse. Additionally, it sums up your whole essay and should be exciting enough for the reader to want to continue reading your article. This paragraph helps set the tone for the entire piece, and that’s why you need to get it right.

So how can you write a claim sentence? This post explores this topic and will help you understand how to write this critical essay part.

What Is a Claim Sentence?

A claim sentence is a type of sentence that makes a statement about the topic. It is usually the first sentence in a paragraph or the last one in the introduction. This sentence is important because it gives the reader an idea about what you will discuss in your essay.

Further, it is the main point of your paragraph or essay and defines the paper’s scope, direction, and goal. A claim sentence can be specific or general, depending on your essay type and topic. It can also be an opinion, factual, cause and effect, or argumentative.

Also see: How long should a claim be in an essay

These sentences have three major parts, the introduction, a transition, and the body. The intro previews your claim, while the transition connects the first part and the body. On the other hand, the body carries the meat of the claim and what you will discuss. This part also completes the first part, making your claim complete.

Generally, a claim sentence explains or proves something. It can also be used to offer an opinion on a topic. However, not every claim sentence has to be supported by evidence or facts. For example, if you write about personal opinion, you may not necessarily need facts to prove what you believe in. Instead, you will write persuasively and give relevant examples.

Types of Claim Sentences

There are several types of claim sentences, and it is vital to use the correct type for your purpose. The three major ones are

• Claims of fact or definition

These claims are used when the information you present is universally accepted or at least widely accepted and not in dispute. These claims also state something quantifiable existed, exists, or will exist.

Generally, these claims’ primary argument is whether the stamen is true or false, valid or invalid, and correct or incorrect. Further, they are viewed as starting from the known to the unknown. Their primary goal is to nullify an existing opinion or convince readers that something previously considered untrue is true.

Proving these claims requires data and empirical verification. Examples include;

• Technology aided the rise of terrorism
• Action movies are causing rebellion in teens
• Worldwide oil prices will continue rising

• Policy claims

These claims assert someone should do something to prevent or prevent a specific problem. In most cases, they use the word ‘should,’ thus differentiating themselves from other claim types.

Examples include

• Drug testing should be a mandatory requirement for college admission
• Students should read ahead of their professors

• Claim of value

A claim of value are those sentences that quantify something, someone, a process, or anything is better than others.

The argument point is the measurement value of one aspect to the other. This means these statements question what s the criteria of claiming A is better, worse, cheaper, expensive than B.

Some examples of this type of claim include

• Engineering is the best course
• Natural gas is better for cooking than electricity
• Beaches are the best places to spend a vacation
• The best way for a company to achieve success is by using sustainable business practices that respect human rights, animal rights, and environmental protection laws

How to Write a Good Claim Sentence

Writing a good claim sentence is one of the most important things you can do for your essay. A good claim sentence clarifies to the reader what you want them to take away from your writing and gives them something specific to remember.

It’s also an opportunity for you to stand out as a writer since many others will make vague or general claims that don’t drive home their ideas. After all, how can readers know what you believe in unless you prove it?

Here are tips on how to write a good claim essay.

1. Choose the right topic

The topic of your paper is the main idea you want to communicate. It should be specific but not too narrow. Additionally, it should be broad enough to encompass all the information in your paper but specific enough that it can’t be applied in any other context.

Therefore, when choosing a topic, go for something that interests you. This will make researching and writing easier. However, if a subject is already given, nothing much can be done apart from diving deep into research.

Similarly, choose a relevant topic that will guarantee readership. This will help readers be interested and engaged till the end.

2. Take a stand

A claim sentence is a statement that takes a stand. It’s not a question or an obvious fact, nor should it be. Instead, it should be opinionated and assertive.

For example, they are statements such as

• “I think this is so-and-so.”
• “I believe this because of reason X.”
• “I intend to do action Y to achieve result Z.”

In addition, taking a stand in your claim sentence will help you write confidently instead of hedging around the issue with qualifiers like “it seems” or “maybe,” which weaken your argument.

3. Narrow down your claim

An effective claim statement is which is specific. This means you must narrow your claim by thinking about the problem you’re trying to solve. This should be the most important thing when setting goals—you need to know what you’re trying to achieve before starting on a solution.

The best way is to ensure your goal is well-defined and has a clear deadline. Otherwise, if it is too vague, it will be challenging to convince your readers.

4. Be concise but thorough and simple

One of the best ways to write a good claim essay is to be concise but thorough and keep it simple. This means writing less but ensuring all the information you include in your article has been properly researched and is relevant to your claim. In addition, you should also make sure that your words are simple enough so that they are easy for your readers to understand.

5. Use logic to support claims

Logic is the foundation of all good writing. Just as you can’t build a house without foundation, you can’t make an argument or any writing without logic.

Logic involves reasoning and thinking to reach conclusions or make decisions based on evidence and ideas. It’s the process by which we make sense of the world around us and our minds by asking questions, collecting data and using it for analysis, forming hypotheses, and testing those hypotheses with more evidence until we arrive at some form of truth or understanding about something.

Logic is also present in every sentence that makes up your claim sentence because each word has its meaning and purpose within that sentence. This means each word must connect logically with every other word, creating one unified thought (your claim).

6. Make one point at a time

An effective claim presents a single idea. And if there are two points, they have a cause-and-effect relationship. Also, having a claim with one point makes readers understand your thoughts and encourages them to read to the end.

If you want to write a good claim sentence, make sure it has one point that clearly communicates what you want readers to understand or feel from reading your essay. If you don’t, it will confuse your readers, and the entire paper will not serve its purpose.

How Long Is a Claim Sentence

A claim sentence is either one or two sentences long. Depending on your topic and essay goal, it can be longer but always try to shorten it and make it convincing. This is because your job is to convince readers of the truth of this statement and get them excited about what you will present to prove it.

Generally, there are no hard-and-fast rules on how long a claim sentence should be, but there is one thing we can say with certainty. The shorter, the better. This is because you want your reader to get all the information they need from this statement so they can move on and start exploring where your article takes them next.

Conclusion

The claim sentence is a critical part of your paragraph and should be given proper attention. Without a claim, there would be nothing to argue against or prove. A good claim sentence should make an argument backed up by evidence, be clear, narrow, and carry one idea.

With this information, you now know how to craft a claim sentence that will get your essay more readers.