essay meaning of facts

Introduction

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CO300 as a University Core Course

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Teaching in the computer classroom

Finally. . .

Classroom materials

Audience awareness and rhetorical contexts

Critical thinking and reading

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Presenting evidence and organizing arguments/counter-arguments

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Assignments for portfolio 3

Workshopping and workshop sheets

On workshopping generally

Workshop sheets for portfolio 1

Workshop sheets for portfolio 2

Workshop sheets for portfolio 3

Workshop sheets for general purposes

Sample materials grouped by instructor

Distinguishing Fact, Opinion, Belief, and Prejudice

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The internet is full of an overwhelming amount of information. Some of the information is trustworthy, and some of it is not. A lot of websites are full of people voicing their opinions but not making any fact-based arguments. When writers need to craft a credible argument or a detailed research paper, it can be difficult to know where to start finding trustworthy facts. Understanding what facts are, how to cite them, and how they differ from opinions and truths is a good place to start.

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Definition of Fact

A fact is a real and indisputable piece of information. For something to be considered a fact, it has to be proven.

A fact is a statement that is verifiably and objectively real.

Writers use facts all of the time to enhance their writing. When writers include facts, they show the reader their knowledge of the topic. It is particularly effective for writers to use facts when making an argument , as facts can help prove the main points to their readers.

For example, imagine a writer is writing an essay in which they want to convince the reader to recycle more. The writer can say that recycling is important—but that is not enough information to convince someone. Instead, they need to explain why recycling is important. To effectively make this point, it is helpful to use facts about the power of recycling.

For example, if they researched and referenced statistical facts about how recycling addresses global warming, they would show the reader that recycling is important because it makes a difference in cleaning up the planet.

Characteristics of Facts

With so much information on the internet, people must understand how to identify credible facts and differentiate them from false information. There are several characteristics of facts that can help writers identify facts. For instance:

A fact is something real.

A fact is proven to be correct.

A fact is based on indisputable experience or observation.

When attempting to discern if a statement is a fact or false information, readers can ask themselves the following questions:

Is the source of this claim trustworthy?

If I research this claim can I find evidence ?

Does this claim reflect personal feelings or bias?

Sometimes it can be difficult to determine if a source is trustworthy. Generally, if the URL of a source on the web ends in .org, .edu, or .gov it can generally be assumed to be trustworthy. Additionally, the information is trustworthy if a website cites a credible source. In contrast, claims found on forums, social media sites, or other informal web pages that do not cite sources should be fact-checked.

Examples of Fact

There are several examples of facts. Often when people think about facts, they think about statistics or math. Facts can be mathematic, but facts can also be scientific, historical, or merely observed. For instance, people often ask others to tell them fun facts about themselves!

Additionally, the following statements are all examples of facts:

The boiling point of water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit or 100 degrees Celsius.

George Washington was the first president of the United States of America.

This sentence contains five words.

This article is about facts.

Note that all of the above statements are verifiably true. Without evidence , however, they could not be considered facts.

Fact-Checking

When writing an academic paper, speech, or non-fiction, writers must fact-check their work. Fact-checking is the process of verifying that information is factual. When writers fact-check their work, they ensure they are writing trustworthy, credible information.

Fact-checking is important no matter the circumstances, but it is especially important in politics. When people run for political offices, like the president of the United States, journalists fact-check what they say in their speeches and debates. If the candidates make up information or share false information, journalists tell the public, and the news can hurt the candidates’ credibility. Fact-checking what influential people say helps hold them accountable to the people they serve and helps to ensure a free, honest society.

Referencing

When writers use facts from other sources in their writing, they are required to cite the sources of those facts. Citing the sources of facts helps writers maintain credibility, helps readers find more information on a topic, and ensures writers avoid plagiarism—the act of stealing another's work and passing it off as their own. To properly cite a source, the writer should note the formatting guidelines of the work, such as MLA and APA, and structure the references according to the style guide.

For example, the APA style guide requires writers to put references at the end of every sentence with outside information and include the author's last name and the year of publication. The APA guide also requires writers to include an alphabetized list of all references at the end of their paper.

Reference style guides are updated periodically. When writing references, writers should always double-check that they are using the most recent formatting guidelines for the style guide.

Facts vs Opinions

The difference between facts and opinions is essential, especially when working to support an argument in an essay. Facts are statements that can be objectively proven, while opinions reflect personal and subjective feelings.

For instance, when writing a literary analysis essay, a writer might be tempted to write something like:

The author did an awesome job writing about the main character."

However, this statement would be an opinion because the idea that the author's job was "awesome" is subjective and may vary depending on the reader. Instead, writers writing academic essays need to stick to facts to support their argument. For instance, a writer should instead state an example of a fact:

The author used several metaphors to describe the main character effectively."

This would be a fact because the writer would be able to point out metaphors in the text that prove this.

Differences Between Fact and Truth

The words "fact" and "truth" are often used interchangeably, but they have different meanings. Facts have a real or logical form. This means you cannot use "fact" to refer to people's beliefs and feelings about the world.

The word "truth" refers to things that accord with facts; however, it can also refer to people's feelings. For example, take people who practice a particular religion. They believe the teachings of that religion to be the truth. However, those teachings cannot be fact, as there is no indisputable evidence that they are real.

Remember: facts have to be proven.

Fact - Key Takeaways

• A fact is a statement that is verifiably real. A fact is different from an opinion because facts can be proven, while opinions reflect personal feelings.
• An example of a fact is that Alaska and Wisconsin are two of seven states in the United States with the most amount of lakes.
• "Fact" is different from "truth" because truth takes into account personal thoughts that are not indisputable.
• Writers use facts to support their arguments, make their writing credible, and provide readers with other sources of information.
• Writers should always fact-check their information to ensure their writing is trustworthy.

Flashcards in Fact 20

What is a fact?

A statement that is verifiably real

What is the difference between fact and opinion?

Facts can be proven while opinions reflect personal feelings. 

Is this a fact or an opinion? "The author did an excellent job describing the protagonist’s sadness." 

Opinion. The idea that the author did an "excellent" job is based on the writer's personal feelings. 

True or False. Fact is the same thing as truth.

False. A fact is something that is verifiably real, while truth can refer to something that is a belief or a feeling that is not completely verifiable. 

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a fact?

Facts always include statistics. 

What is fact-checking?

Fact-checking is the process of verifying that information is factual.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Fact

What is a random fact?

The oldest person alive is currently 118 years old!

What is a fact in simple words?

A fact is a statement that is verifiably real.

What is an example of fact?

An example of a fact is that George Washington was the first president of the United States of America. 

What are the characteristics of fact?

The characteristics of a fact involve how facts are statements that are real. They are based on evidence, experience, or observation. They can be proven. 

What is fact vs truth?

Facts are based on verifiable evidence while truth can also refer to personal beliefs. 

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What should writers always do when they use facts?

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essay , an analytic , interpretative, or critical literary composition usually much shorter and less systematic and formal than a dissertation or thesis and usually dealing with its subject from a limited and often personal point of view.

Some early treatises—such as those of Cicero on the pleasantness of old age or on the art of “divination,” Seneca on anger or clemency , and Plutarch on the passing of oracles—presage to a certain degree the form and tone of the essay, but not until the late 16th century was the flexible and deliberately nonchalant and versatile form of the essay perfected by the French writer Michel de Montaigne . Choosing the name essai to emphasize that his compositions were attempts or endeavours, a groping toward the expression of his personal thoughts and experiences, Montaigne used the essay as a means of self-discovery. His Essais , published in their final form in 1588, are still considered among the finest of their kind. Later writers who most nearly recall the charm of Montaigne include, in England, Robert Burton , though his whimsicality is more erudite , Sir Thomas Browne , and Laurence Sterne , and in France, with more self-consciousness and pose, André Gide and Jean Cocteau .

At the beginning of the 17th century, social manners, the cultivation of politeness, and the training of an accomplished gentleman became the theme of many essayists. This theme was first exploited by the Italian Baldassare Castiglione in his Il libro del cortegiano (1528; The Book of the Courtier ). The influence of the essay and of genres allied to it, such as maxims, portraits, and sketches, proved second to none in molding the behavior of the cultured classes, first in Italy, then in France, and, through French influence, in most of Europe in the 17th century. Among those who pursued this theme was the 17th-century Spanish Jesuit Baltasar Gracián in his essays on the art of worldly wisdom.

Keener political awareness in the 18th century, the age of Enlightenment , made the essay an all-important vehicle for the criticism of society and religion. Because of its flexibility, its brevity , and its potential both for ambiguity and for allusions to current events and conditions, it was an ideal tool for philosophical reformers. The Federalist Papers in America and the tracts of the French Revolutionaries are among the countless examples of attempts during this period to improve the human condition through the essay.

The genre also became the favoured tool of traditionalists of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as Edmund Burke and Samuel Taylor Coleridge , who looked to the short, provocative essay as the most potent means of educating the masses. Essays such as Paul Elmer More’s long series of Shelburne Essays (published between 1904 and 1935), T.S. Eliot ’s After Strange Gods (1934) and Notes Towards the Definition of Culture (1948), and others that attempted to reinterpret and redefine culture , established the genre as the most fitting to express the genteel tradition at odds with the democracy of the new world.

Whereas in several countries the essay became the chosen vehicle of literary and social criticism, in other countries the genre became semipolitical, earnestly nationalistic, and often polemical, playful, or bitter. Essayists such as Robert Louis Stevenson and Willa Cather wrote with grace on several lighter subjects, and many writers—including Virginia Woolf , Edmund Wilson , and Charles du Bos —mastered the essay as a form of literary criticism .

10 Factual Essay Topics That Will Help You Score Better

A factual essay is an informative piece of academic writing that aims at providing facts and solid pieces of evidence on the matter. Based on researched data, the writer develops an original argument. As the text consists mainly of hard facts, it is referred to as a factual essay. However, some scholars regard it as an expository essay .

How to write a factual essay? It is anybody’s guess. The worst nightmare for every new learner or so they say about this assignment. Not every teacher explains to students the main purpose of doing it. But even with a detailed template, it is still quite a challenge. How to choose a proper format, how to develop a helpful plan and what are the main specifications of the writing process? Our professional writers made a complete guide to help you succeed with this written assignment without difficulties.

Table of Contents

How To Write A Factual Essay – A Step-By-Step Guide

Follow these steps and they will lead you to the desired result.

First, don’t be afraid to ask for direct instructions from your teacher. Only with a full set of guidelines provided by the instructor, one can make a proper factual essay format. There might be specific requirements that are not foreseen by standard academic styles of writing. So before you start, make sure that your outline is well-considered and formalized. It is essential to have a strong plan to keep track of your paper development.

Second, explore factual essay topics and determine the one that suits you the best. You will need a sufficient amount of information to work on, so do not risk choosing a non-resourceful subject. Make a quick investigation, and write out topics that have the longest list of facts to work with. Then cut out outdated topics and the ones that seem too difficult to handle. Finally, favor the only matter that seems the most exciting for you.

Third, think of an outline. It has to be your ultimate guide throughout the entire writing process. Refer to you whenever you experience difficulties with something. Do not ignore planning, as it is always beneficial for your essay – one way or another.

Fourth, proceed to write the paper. Explain the purpose of writing in the factual essay introduction , list all the facts gathered in the main part, make conclusions in the summary. Follow your instructions and blueprint sharply.

Finally, do your text a favor and re-examine it. Check it for possible mistakes, logical non-conformities, accidental misprints, etc. Ask someone to read the final copy, just in case you have missed something out.

And done! Not that scary after all, right?

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Factual Essay Introduction – Ways To Start

There are several ways to start your composition. Every writer finds his perfect opening line depending on a situation. Some like to begin with a rhetorical question, some prefer a strong statement. Some like to put their outcomes in front, some explain their expectations toward the research.

Check our free factual essay samples to gain inspiration. Examine different opening lines and think of a good one for you. Be creative and feel free to express your imagination the way you like.

Plus, if you don’t have a clear vision of the introduction, do not spend time racking your brains over it. Leave it for the end. The moment you finish with the body part, an inspiration for an ideal beginning may come all of a sudden and out of nowhere. So, better wait for a muse to appear.

Factual Argument Essay Topics – Get The Perfect Match

Got lost among factual argument essay topics? Here’s your survival guide with trending subjects to develop in an expository essay:

• What are the cheapest ways to stop the global environmental crisis?
• What is the best superpower and why?
• What is the best century of all time?
• What is the worst disease that has ever existed on a planet?
• Who is the most dangerous animal on Earth?
• Should we trust in Darwin’s theory or not?
• What is the ultimate lifetime duration for a human?
• What are the positive effects of music therapy?
• Should we all give up on religion?
• What are the perks of being lonely?

These topics cover various subject fields and not necessarily have to be used word-for-word. They are listed here for your inspiration. Take them as templates to develop your own idea on factual writing.

For example, you are interested in exploring the worst disease ever. Here is a quick suggestion for a unique factual essay: “Smoking is the worst addiction that causes irreversible consequences within the mankind”.  Continue to develop this thought and you will inevitably come to your perfect topic.

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III. Rhetorical Situation

3.10 Facts and Opinions

Kathryn Crowther; Lauren Curtright; Nancy Gilbert; Barbara Hall; Tracienne Ravita; and Kirk Swenson

Facts are statements that can be definitely proven using objective data. The statement that is a fact is absolutely valid. In other words, the statement can be pronounced as true or false. For example, 2 + 2 = 4. This expression identifies a true statement, or a fact, because it can be proved with objective data.

Opinions are personal views, or judgments. An opinion is what an individual believes about a particular subject. However, an opinion in argumentation must have legitimate backing; adequate evidence and credibility should support the opinion. Consider the credibility of expert opinions. Experts in a given field have the knowledge and credentials to make their opinion meaningful to a larger audience; this credibility is sometimes called “ethos” and is one way that we make our arguments persuasive. For example, you seek the opinion of your dentist when it comes to the health of your gums, and you seek the opinion of your mechanic when it comes to the maintenance of your car. Both have knowledge and credentials in those respective fields, which is why their opinions matter to you. But the authority of your dentist may be greatly diminished should they offer an opinion about your car, and vice versa. In writing, you want to strike a balance between credible facts and authoritative opinions. Relying on one or the other will likely lose more of your audience than it gains.

This section contains material from:

Crowther, Kathryn, Lauren Curtright, Nancy Gilbert, Barbara Hall, Tracienne Ravita, and Kirk Swenson. Successful College Composition . 2nd edition. Book 8. Georgia: English Open Textbooks, 2016. http://oer.galileo.usg.edu/english-textbooks/8 . Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License .

Impartiality or fairness; dispassionate or detached. Also refers to the goal, aim, or intention that someone or a group of people hope to achieve.

3.10 Facts and Opinions Copyright © 2022 by Kathryn Crowther; Lauren Curtright; Nancy Gilbert; Barbara Hall; Tracienne Ravita; and Kirk Swenson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Understanding Claim of Fact: Essay Examples and Topics

Introduction

Welcome to The Knowledge Nest's comprehensive guide on understanding claim of fact essays. In this article, we will dive into the concept of claim of fact essays, explore various examples, and provide you with helpful tips to structure and write your own compelling essays.

What is a Claim of Fact Essay?

A claim of fact essay is a type of academic writing that aims to present an argument supported by evidence to prove a certain statement or fact. Unlike opinion-based essays, claim of fact essays require thorough research and an emphasis on objective information rather than personal beliefs or biases.

These essays typically involve analyzing data, statistics, expert opinions, and historical events to support or refute a specific claim. The goal is to provide a logical and convincing argument that is rooted in factual evidence.

Examples of Claim of Fact Essay Topics

Claim of fact essays cover a wide range of topics across various disciplines. Here are some examples of claim of fact essay topics that you can explore:

• The Impact of Climate Change on Global Agriculture
• The Connection between Social Media Usage and Mental Health
• The Effectiveness of Vaccines in Preventing Infectious Diseases
• The Influence of Technology on Children's Cognitive Development
• The Relationship between Education and Economic Growth

These topics serve as a starting point for your claim of fact essays. However, you can choose to focus on any subject that interests you, as long as it follows the guidelines of this type of essay.

How to Structure a Claim of Fact Essay

Structure plays a crucial role in crafting an effective claim of fact essay. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you structure your essay:

• Introduction: Start with a captivating opening that grabs the reader's attention and clearly states your claim of fact. Provide some background information on the topic and outline your main arguments.
• Body Paragraphs: Present your evidence and supporting arguments in a logical, well-organized manner. Each body paragraph should focus on a single point, providing relevant evidence, data, or examples to strengthen your claim.
• Counterarguments: Address potential counterarguments and refute them with strong evidence or logical reasoning. Acknowledging opposing viewpoints and effectively rebutting them adds credibility to your essay.
• Conclusion: Summarize your main points, restate your claim of fact, and emphasize the significance of your argument. Leave the reader with a thought-provoking closing statement.

By following this structure, you will present your claim of fact essay in a well-organized and persuasive manner, increasing its impact on your readers.

Writing a Compelling Claim of Fact Essay

Writing a compelling claim of fact essay requires more than just accurate information. Here are some additional tips to make your essay stand out:

• Thorough Research: Conduct in-depth research to gather reliable and relevant sources. Cite your sources accurately to maintain credibility and avoid plagiarism.
• Strong Supporting Evidence: Use a combination of statistical data, expert opinions, real-life examples, and historical events to support your claims. The stronger your evidence, the more persuasive your essay will be.
• Clear and Concise Language: Avoid jargon or overly complex language that may confuse your readers. Use clear and concise language to convey your arguments effectively.
• Logical Reasoning: Ensure that your essay follows a logical flow of ideas. Each paragraph should build upon the previous one, leading the reader towards your desired conclusion.
• Proofread and Edit: Before submitting your essay, carefully proofread it for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Editing your work ensures a polished and professional final piece.

By incorporating these tips into your writing process, you will create a compelling claim of fact essay that not only convinces your readers but also showcases your analytical and critical thinking skills.

Congratulations! You now have a better understanding of claim of fact essays, from their definition to structuring and writing tips. Remember to choose a compelling topic, conduct thorough research, and present your arguments with strong supporting evidence.

By mastering the art of claim of fact essays, you will be able to express your viewpoints eloquently and persuasively, leaving a lasting impression on your readers. Start crafting your own claim of fact essays with The Knowledge Nest today!

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Essays | Definition, Types, Examples, & Facts About Them

Essays, a cornerstone of written expression, have long been revered for their ability to encapsulate a writer’s viewpoint, unleash persuasive arguments, and invite readers into a captivating realm of thought. As versatile as they are profound, essays hold the power to inform, persuade, and entertain, making them an invaluable medium of communication. In this illuminating exploration, we embark on a journey that unravels the essence of the essay, dissecting its multifaceted nature, exploring its diverse types, and uncovering the intricate tapestry of this popular form of written expression . Join us as we traverse the labyrinth of ideas, guided by the powerful words that shape our understanding and transform mere thoughts into transformative narratives.

What is an essay?

An essay, a literary composition that serves as a medium for expressing a writer’s thoughts, ideas, or arguments on a particular subject, holds a prominent position in the realm of written expression. Within the confines of its structure, the essay grants authors the opportunity to present their unique perspective and offer insightful analysis on topics of interest. Covering a wide range of subjects, including literature, history, science, philosophy, and more, essays embody the essence of communication, bridging the gap between writers and readers. Through the written word , essays become vehicles for conveying knowledge and sharing personal opinions, fostering an exchange of ideas that enriches our understanding of the world.

Types of essays

• Essays come in various forms, each with its own unique characteristics and purposes. Some of the common types of essays include argumentative essays, expository essays, narrative essays, and descriptive essays. Let’s explore each type in detail.
• Argumentative essays require the writer to present a strong argument and support it with credible evidence. The goal is to convince the reader to adopt a specific viewpoint or take a particular course of action.
• Expository essays aim to explain or describe a topic in a clear and concise manner. They provide information, facts, and analysis without expressing personal opinions.
• Narrative essays tell a story, often based on personal experiences or events. They engage the reader through vivid storytelling and evoke emotions while conveying a central message .
• Descriptive essays focus on painting a detailed picture of a person, place, object, or event. They use sensory language and vivid descriptions to create a vivid and engaging experience for the reader.
• In addition to these essay types, there are various other aspects related to writing and the writing process. Writing prompts can provide inspiration and ideas for writers who may be stuck or seeking new avenues to explore. They serve as a starting point to unleash creativity and engage in free writing exercises.
• Writing a book is a daunting yet rewarding endeavor for aspiring authors. It requires dedication, planning, and a clear understanding of the writing process. Writing prompts can also be beneficial in generating ideas for a book and overcoming writer’s block.
• Essay writing involves following a structured process that includes brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising, and editing. It is important to develop strong writing skills to effectively communicate ideas and engage readers.
• Creative writing is an outlet for self-expression, allowing writers to explore their imagination and craft compelling stories. Writing prompts specifically designed for creative writing can spark inspiration and push writers to think outside the box.
• Content writing is a skill required in various professional settings, such as blogging, website content creation, and marketing. Writers in this field must have a strong command of language and the ability to adapt their writing style to different purposes and target audiences.
• There are numerous writing apps and websites available to assist writers in their creative process, providing tools for organization, brainstorming, and editing. These resources can enhance productivity and streamline the writing workflow.
• Whether writing fiction or nonfiction, short stories or novels, writers need to develop their skills and find their unique voice. Practice, dedication, and feedback from writing communities can contribute to the growth and improvement of a writer. Therefore, writing encompasses a vast array of forms and purposes. From argumentative and expository essays to narrative and descriptive essays, each type serves a distinct function. Writing prompts, the writing process, and various resources support writers in their creative endeavors. So, grab a pen, embrace your imagination, and let your words flow freely as you embark on your writing journey .

Examples of essays

To better comprehend the diverse facets of writing, let’s delve into a plethora of writing forms:

• Argumentative essay: “Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished?” This thought-provoking and contentious essay artfully presents compelling arguments concerning the ethical, legal, and societal implications surrounding the abolishment of the death penalty. By meticulously examining both sides of the debate, it invites readers to engage in critical thinking and fosters a profound discussion on this highly contested topic.
• Expository essay: “The History of the Essay” Embarking on a captivating journey through time, this expository essay meticulously traces the origins and evolution of the essay as a distinct literary form. It chronicles the contributions of influential essayists throughout the ages, delving into their profound impact on the development and transformation of this genre. By providing a comprehensive historical overview, this essay enlightens readers about the captivating evolution of essay writing.
• Narrative essay: “My First Day of School” With heartfelt sincerity, this deeply personal narrative essay artfully captures the writer’s vivid experiences and raw emotions during their momentous first day of school. It immerses readers in a poignant recollection of the writer’s excitement, nervousness, and eager anticipation, effortlessly conveying the universal significance of this memorable milestone in one’s life.
• Descriptive essay: “The Smell of Rain” Through skillful and evocative language, this descriptive essay skillfully harnesses the power of words to paint a vivid sensory experience for the reader. By masterfully portraying the unique aroma and ambiance that accompanies rainfall, it transports readers into a captivating scene, igniting their senses and eliciting a cascade of memories and emotions associated with the rain’s intoxicating scent.

Facts about essays

Here are some essential facts to know about essays:

• Essays, in their diverse forms, serve as a profound means of conveying viewpoints, capturing thoughts, and presenting compelling arguments on a myriad of topics. They offer a rich and expansive platform for individuals to express their perspectives, ideas, and emotions, engaging readers in an enlightening journey of exploration and discourse.
• When it comes to essays, their purpose extends beyond a mere conveyance of information. They possess the power to inform, persuade, and entertain, each essay crafted with a specific intention in mind. The chosen purpose guides the tone, style, and structure of the essay, shaping its form and impact on the reader.
• As we embark on an in-depth exploration of the art of essay writing, it becomes evident that essays are not limited to a singular template. They come in various shapes and sizes, each tailored to suit the specific needs and objectives of the author. From scholarly dissertations to personal reflections, from investigative reports to creative narratives, essays manifest in a multitude of forms, transcending the boundaries of conventional communication.
• Delving into the structure of an essay, we find a well-established framework that encompasses three fundamental components: the introduction, body, and conclusion. In the introductory section, a carefully crafted thesis statement emerges, serving as the cornerstone of the essay. This concise yet powerful statement encapsulates the core idea that will be expounded upon and explored throughout the essay, laying the groundwork for the ensuing discourse.
• Moving onward to the body of the essay, a wealth of supporting evidence and analysis takes center stage. This is where the author’s expertise, research, and critical thinking skills converge, unveiling a tapestry of compelling arguments, vivid examples, and thought-provoking insights. Each paragraph within the body delves into a specific aspect, presenting a coherent progression of ideas that reinforce the central thesis statement. By employing a variety of rhetorical devices, such as logical reasoning, persuasive appeals, and meticulous analysis, the author endeavors to captivate the reader’s attention and elicit a profound intellectual engagement.
• Finally, the essay culminates in its conclusion, a pivotal segment that synthesizes the main ideas and reaffirms the thesis statement. Here, the author skillfull y weaves together the threads of their arguments, providing a concise summary of the key points and leaving a lasting impression on the reader’s mind. The conclusion serves as the ultimate opportunity for the author to leave a thought-provoking parting note, leaving the reader with a sense of closure and a lingering contemplation of the essay’s significance.
• Now, as we embark on an exploration of various types of essays, we are presented with a myriad of opportunities to delve deeper into the art of expression and persuasion. Whether it is the argumentative essay, where the author passionately presents their stance on a controversial topic, skillfully navigating the intricate web of ethical, legal, and societal considerations, or the expository essay, where the author assumes the role of a knowledgeable guide, leading the reader through the rich tapestry of history and evolution of the essay as a literary form, each type offers a distinct flavor of engagement and intellectual stimulation.
• The narrative essay, with its captivating storytelling prowess, invites the reader into the intimate realm of personal experiences. Through vivid descriptions and heartfelt reflections, the writer transports the reader to pivotal moments, such as the exhilarating first day of school, where emotions run high and new beginnings unfold. These narratives weave together a tapestry of emotions, painting a vivid picture that resonates with readers on a deeply personal level.
• Meanwhile, the descriptive essay unleashes the power of sensory language, enveloping the reader in a sensory experience that transcends the boundaries of mere words. One such example is the evocative portrayal of the unique aroma and ethereal atmosphere that accompanies rainfall. Through skillful word choice and vibrant imagery , the writer recreates the essence of the rain’s scent, transporting the reader to a world where memories are revived and emotions are rekindled.
• As we conclude this exploration of essays, we are reminded of their immense potential to enlighten, provoke thought, and stir emotions. They serve as a testament to the power of language, allowing us to connect, communicate, and understand one another on a deeper level. So, whether it is the quest for knowledge, the pursuit of change, or the simple pleasure of immersing oneself in a captivating narrative, essays stand as timeless vehicles for human expression, shaping our collective understanding and fostering a world enriched by the power of words.

Essays offer a diverse range of literary expression, enabling writers to convey their thoughts and ideas effectively. From the persuasive arguments of argumentative essays to the informative nature of expository essays, the captivating narratives of narrative essays, and the vivid descriptions of descriptive essays, each genre brings its own distinct qualities and purposes. As writers, we have the power to choose the essay form that best suits our intentions , engaging readers and leaving a lasting impact. So, let your creativity flow and explore the world of essays, embracing the richness of each genre’s unique storytelling techniques and captivating readers with your words.

Also, essays are a versatile form of writing that can be used for a variety of purposes. By understanding the different types of essays and how to write them effectively, you can improve your writing skills and communicate your ideas more effectively. Remember to choose a topic of interest, conduct thorough research, organize your thoughts, and craft a clear and concise introduction. Support your arguments with evidence and personal experience, and conclude your essay by summarizing the main points and restating the thesis. Finally, proofread your work meticulously to ensure clarity and coherence. Embrace the power of essays as a medium to express your thoughts, inform others, and engage in meaningful discussions.

If you find yourself in need of assistance with your essays or seeking expert guidance, consider bringing your essays to GradeSmiths . With their team of experienced writers and editors, GradeSmiths can provide valuable feedback, editing services, and guidance to help you refine your essays to their fullest potential. Whether you need help with structure, grammar, or overall content, GradeSmiths can be a valuable resource on your writing journey .

So, as you embark on your essay-writing endeavors, remember the power and impact of this form of expression. Embrace the opportunity to share your ideas, educate others, and inspire thoughtful discussions. And when you require extra support, don’t hesitate to seek assistance from professionals like GradeSmiths. With their expertise, your essays can truly shine and make a lasting impression.

Happy writing and best of luck with your future essays!

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• Opinion vs Fact

An essay boils down to arguments, and arguments boil down to the facts. Although defining a fact vs. an opinion ought to be cut and dry, that is far from the case. Simple explanations of facts and opinions will not provide the proper context to truly distinguish them, which is why we will explore “opinions” and “facts” in-depth: how they are different, how they are similar, and how they evolve.

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Meaning of Opinion and Fact

First we will discuss the opinion , then the fact .

Opinions are what you should avoid in your essay, and something you should never use as evidence to support your thesis.

Opinion is a personal conjecture.

Something is an opinion if it:

Does not require verification:

I like pizza.

Has failed to acquire verification:

The earth is flat.

Or cannot acquire verification:

Humans will evolve into beings of pure energy.

Fact is not “the truth.” Fact is “what is found” during the search for the truth.

Fact is what has continuously withstood the test of hypotheses.

Green is the color between yellow and cyan on the visible spectrum of light.

Humans have been to space and landed on the moon.

Many plants use sunlight to create nutrients from carbon dioxide and water.

Fact can either be arrived at logically (through the argumentation of a hypothesis) or arrived at by experience (through the experimentation of a hypothesis).

Potential Facts

Potential facts are in the process of being proven or disproven. Take for example the advanced study of physics. It would be incorrect to describe the study of quantum mechanics as a study of “opinions,” simply because the topics contained in the field are not fully verified. Rather, the topics regard “potential facts” or "theoretical ideas" that are in the pipeline of research.

There is some overlap between “opinions that have failed to acquire verification” and “potential facts,” but the good news is that neither should be used in an essay as logical support. Potential facts might be referenced as a possible avenue for advancement, oftentimes appropriately in the conclusion of an essay, but “potential facts” should not occupy body paragraphs as a replacement for facts.

Potential facts are often worked upon in theoretical and philosophical fields, and can be identified by their presence near the top of academic study. On the other hand, “opinions that have failed to acquire verification” can be identified by their outsized presence on social media and by their propagation by tabloids, influencers, and celebrities.

Similarities Between Opinion and Fact

There are some fundamental similarities between opinions and facts, but don’t use these things to help you decide whether something is opinion or fact.

Opinions and Facts are Both Conclusions

Someone can present a fact with their whole chest, and someone can present an opinion with their whole chest. Both are conclusive, which can make both of them appear like objective facts. Just because something is said like it is a fact, however, does not mean that it is a fact.

Conspiracy theorists: Fundamentally, conspiracy theorists distrust everything, including their own senses, fearing that whatever they haven’t sensed isn't actually true. To avoid believing in conspiracies, ground yourself in some form of logical belief. Find a conclusion that you trust. While it is beneficial to be wary of taking anything at face value, it is only beneficial if you also have a logical method to verify things.

In your essays, you will constantly provide evidence that you did not personally verify (e.g., studies that you weren’t present for), or draw conclusions about things you did not personally create (e.g. literature that you did not write). This is perfectly fine.

Note that the opposite is also true. Just because something is said in a tentative or unoptimized manner, it does not mean that it is logically flawed and thus an opinion. Do not rely on how something is presented. Instead, pay attention to the content. Right things can be said in a small voice.

Opinions and Facts Both Evolve

This year, pizza might be your favorite food. Next year, it might be brussels sprouts, who knows?

Likewise, what we regard as fact evolves as we learn more. However, opinion is not likely to become fact in this evolutionary process. Rather, potential facts will become facts in this evolutionary process.

The fact of opinion: Say you like pizza. It is then a fact that you like pizza. That is the fact of opinion. This is the only kind of “opinion” argument that is ever likely to appear in your essay. For instance, if you are arguing that the character of a book—let’s call this character Xuan—does not love their job despite repeatedly saying that they do, then you might use evidence from the book to support this claim about their opinion. Arguing the fact of opinion is something you will only do in literary analyses and the like, where the focus is upon the humanity of the topic and not its objectivity. Literature students thrive when exploring interpretations.

Differences Between Opinion and Fact

Opinion is not concerned with verification, while facts are. Ironically, because of this, stating an opinion is far more conclusive than stating a fact. This is why a scientist might struggle to quickly prove a fact while a conspiracy theorist or fear-monger will quickly “prove their point” using some form of faulty logic. Testing hypotheses is time-consuming. Making stuff up is quick.

Someone is not foolish because it takes them time to teach something or to learn something. Someone is foolish when they teach or take something to be fact because it is emotionally exciting.

Identifying Opinion vs. Fact with Examples

Let’s break down opinions and facts:

Identifying Opinions

Here is how you identify an opinion. Any of these are signs that something is an opinion.

Subjective Conclusions (Biased)

It is an opinion if it is subjective. In other words, if it contains a personal bias, then it is an opinion.

Apples are the best fruit.

Contested Conclusions (Verification Inconclusive)

It is an opinion if the verification is inconclusive. In other words, if a hypothesis has been repeatedly tested and the result consistently provides no answer, then to declare a conclusion is a matter of opinion.

Despite what studies show, which is that neither is significantly better than the other, medication X is probably still better than medication Y for those over the age of 65.

Moral Conclusions

Moral judgments should not be used as logical support. Instead of writing in terms of “right and wrong,” instead write in terms of cause and effect. For instance, don’t write about why pollution is wrong. Instead, write about how it is harmful to the planet.

Conclusions About the Unknown (Verification Impossible)

Something is unknown if it cannot be verified in any way at present, and is thus an opinion. Examples of this include: future events not observed by scientific rhythm (the moon’s orbit is not an opinion, for example); past events not observed, recorded, or logically deduced; and faith-based arguments.

Identifying Facts

Here is how you identify a fact. Any of these are signs that something is a fact.

Objective Conclusions (Without Bias)

Something is a fact if it is methodically arrived at without any bias. If the truth is what a researcher seeks, their conclusions will not be tainted with assumptions and personal opinions.

Quantifiable Conclusions (by Research)

Scientific measurements are hugely beneficial in research because they provide a baseline for validity. If a system of measurement is accurate, then something measured that way can be quantified. If something is quantified, that means that numbers can be assigned to it . Quantifiable data is used to draw conclusions based on what we know about that system of measurement.

After 10 hours, the solution had risen from -19 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Verifiable (by Multiple Accounts)

If something is clearly witnessed by multiple unbiased people, then it can be considered a fact. Note the words clearly, multiple, and unbiased. Something is clearly witnessed if it doesn’t happen under dubious conditions, such as someone seeing someone in pitch darkness. If the people are multiple , then more than one person saw it. If someone is unbiased , then they don’t have any preconceived ideas about what might have happened . To give an example of bias, if someone distrusts their neighbor, then that person might be more inclined to think their neighbor did something wrong before any evidence is provided.

Verification by multiple accounts is used all the time, not just in criminal investigations. People use this method of verification to verify all kinds of things that they do not personally witness. If you don’t attend a party, you can still verify that it happened by talking to those who did attend.

They didn’t televise it, but the football game was interrupted by a fan running onto the field. I wasn’t there, but my friends were. They saw it, and so did dozens of others who posted about it online.

Trusted Sources (and Common Knowledge)

When analyzing a passage or writing your own essay, you will frequently rely on trusted sources and common knowledge. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary is an example of a trusted source. “Most birds fly” is an example of common knowledge.

All of this said, just be sure everything is what it claims to be!

How to Avoid Misleading Facts

Do not be hoodwinked by faulty conclusions and sneaky sources. Here are some common ways that “facts” can be misleading.

Be Wary of Unverified Sources

Vague phrases like “studies show...” are often misleading because they don’t cite the studies. Even if something cites a study, don’t trust it just because it’s a study. Some studies are biased and bogus. Consider: what is the actual source of this evidence?

Be Wary of Unread Context

If you haven’t read the study or book that someone cites, you should probably take a glance at it. They could be using it out of context . This goes for videos or photos as well, which are particularly hazardous when used out of context , because photos and videos are often considered to be positive proof. They can be positive proof, but only when correctly attributed, contextualized, and verified. In the age of photo and video manipulation, videos and photos must be verified. "Deepfakes" now exist that can conjure real-seeming people and voices using a computer.

Be Wary of Generalization

If a study or idea is generalized, be wary of it. Don’t trust broad conclusions drawn from a single source or study. Don’t trust broad conclusions about a genre based on a single book or song. Don’t trust broad conclusions about a society, a philosophy, or a people based on one piece of evidence. Bottom line: huge conclusions require huge amounts of evidence. This type of logic should be avoided:

Because some are X, all are X.

Be Wary of Sets of Information

Here’s an example:

After tests, the AC unit was shown to be working within manufacturer parameters.

A phrase like this may or may not be helpful to an argument , even when it is verifiably true. For instance, this statement of fact does not support that this AC is energy efficient, or particularly effective at cooling down higher temperatures. Before you cite a set of information as evidence, you must be sure that the set of evidence contains what you think it does.

Rarely can huge sets of information be used to broadly support one contention. Break down reports, regulations, and even laws in order to use them as evidence. Do not cite the whole when only one part is relevant to your argument. For example, do not appeal to the United States Constitution as an ultimate authority in its own right. After all, at one point, Article 1 of the United States Constitution contained the three-fifths compromise, which helped to constitutionalize slavery. Obviously, even authoritative documents are not right all the time. This fallacy is called the argument from authority .

Be Wary of All Logical Fallacies

Logic is an extremely powerful tool that you can use to verify ideas all on your own. However, if you take a single misstep in your logic, your conclusion will not be correct. These missteps are called logical fallacies . An argument from authority is just a single fallacy among many. Others include circular reasoning and missing the point . Study logical fallacies and look out for them when analyzing something or when writing something yourself.

Opinion vs Fact - Key Takeaways

• Does not require verification
• Has failed to acquire verification
• Cannot acquire verification
• Fact is what has continuously withstood the test of hypotheses. It is not "the truth" but rather "what is found out" during the search for the truth. Facts can be arrived at logically or practically.
• Potential facts are in the process of being proven or disproven. They tend to exist in advanced and theoretical fields, and should not be used as evidence.
• Opinion is not concerned with verification, while facts are.
• Be sure to identify whether something is really a fact before citing it as evidence. Understand logical fallacies, and don't trust conclusions based on them.

Flashcards in Opinion vs Fact 21

What is an opinion?

Should you use an opinion to support your thesis?

"An opinion does not require verification."

True or false?

If something has failed to acquire verification, what is it?

"Humans will evolve into beings of pure energy." Is this an opinion or a potential fact?

An opinion. It cannot be verified, whereas potential facts are in the process of verification.

Fact is not ____. Fact is what is found out during the search for the truth.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Opinion vs Fact

What's an example of an opinion?

How do you identify if something is a fact or an opinion?

Verification. A fact is verified, while an opinion is not. If something is verified, then it is a fact. 

What is an example of a fact?

What is the main difference between opinion and fact?

What is the meaning of facts and opinions?

Whether something is a fact or an opinion matters a great deal when trying to prove a point. If you are trying to prove something, it is meaningful to include facts as evidence, not opinions.

Test your knowledge with multiple choice flashcards

Fact is what has continually withstood the test of _____.

Opinion is not concerned with _____, while facts are.

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What an Essay Is and How to Write One

• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

Essays are brief, non-fiction compositions that describe, clarify, argue, or analyze a subject. Students might encounter essay assignments in any school subject and at any level of school, from a personal experience "vacation" essay in middle school to a complex analysis of a scientific process in graduate school. Components of an essay include an introduction , thesis statement , body, and conclusion.

Writing an Introduction

The beginning of an essay can seem daunting. Sometimes, writers can start their essay in the middle or at the end, rather than at the beginning, and work backward. The process depends on each individual and takes practice to figure out what works best for them. Regardless of where students start, it is recommended that the introduction begins with an attention grabber or an example that hooks the reader in within the very first sentence.

The introduction should accomplish a few written sentences that leads the reader into the main point or argument of the essay, also known as a thesis statement. Typically, the thesis statement is the very last sentence of an introduction, but this is not a rule set in stone, despite it wrapping things up nicely. Before moving on from the introduction, readers should have a good idea of what is to follow in the essay, and they should not be confused as to what the essay is about. Finally, the length of an introduction varies and can be anywhere from one to several paragraphs depending on the size of the essay as a whole.

Creating a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a sentence that states the main idea of the essay. The function of a thesis statement is to help manage the ideas within the essay. Different from a mere topic, the thesis statement is an argument, option, or judgment that the author of the essay makes about the topic of the essay.

A good thesis statement combines several ideas into just one or two sentences. It also includes the topic of the essay and makes clear what the author's position is in regard to the topic. Typically found at the beginning of a paper, the thesis statement is often placed in the introduction, toward the end of the first paragraph or so.

Developing a thesis statement means deciding on the point of view within the topic, and stating this argument clearly becomes part of the sentence which forms it. Writing a strong thesis statement should summarize the topic and bring clarity to the reader.

For informative essays, an informative thesis should be declared. In an argumentative or narrative essay, a persuasive thesis, or opinion, should be determined. For instance, the difference looks like this:

• Informative Thesis Example:  To create a great essay, the writer must form a solid introduction, thesis statement, body, and conclusion.
• Persuasive Thesis Example:  Essays surrounded around opinions and arguments are so much more fun than informative essays because they are more dynamic, fluid, and teach you a lot about the author.

Developing Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs of an essay include a group of sentences that relate to a specific topic or idea around the main point of the essay. It is important to write and organize two to three full body paragraphs to properly develop it.

Before writing, authors may choose to outline the two to three main arguments that will support their thesis statement. For each of those main ideas, there will be supporting points to drive them home. Elaborating on the ideas and supporting specific points will develop a full body paragraph. A good paragraph describes the main point, is full of meaning, and has crystal clear sentences that avoid universal statements.

Ending an Essay With a Conclusion

A conclusion is an end or finish of an essay. Often, the conclusion includes a judgment or decision that is reached through the reasoning described throughout the essay. The conclusion is an opportunity to wrap up the essay by reviewing the main points discussed that drives home the point or argument stated in the thesis statement.

The conclusion may also include a takeaway for the reader, such as a question or thought to take with them after reading. A good conclusion may also invoke a vivid image, include a quotation, or have a call to action for readers.

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Understanding Claim of Fact: Essay Examples and Topics

By: Max Malak

Claim of fact is possibly the most important aspect of academic writing because they keep discussions going. Without them, writing would be primarily descriptive and provide no fresh perspectives. It's not always simple to create a claim since it necessitates assertiveness and confidence.

Claim of Fact Essay Example: Cancer Is a Very Common But Is Not Contagious

Well-focused, well-organized, well-supported, lack of a strong argument thesis statement, too many quotes, facts, and information, wrong and genetic titles, examples of argumentative essay topics, reliable sources for your essay.

Generally, the goal of a claim of fact is to persuade an audience that something that is currently not acknowledged as truth, or that something that is now recognized as fact, should no longer be considered such.

Cancer cannot be "caught" by another person. Cancer cannot be transferred by close contact or touching, kissing, sharing meals, sex, or inhaling the same air. Cancer cells from one person cannot exist in the body of another person who is healthy. In fact, a healthy immune system quickly recognizes malignant cells and eliminates them before they can develop and spread. Foreign cells, particularly cancer cells from another individual, are detected and destroyed by the immune system.

There are some claims that cancer can spread through organ transplants if your immune system is weak. Only in the case of organ or tissue transplantation is cancer capable of spreading from one person to another. A person who gets an organ or tissue from a cancer-stricken donor may be at a higher risk of acquiring a transplant-related malignancy in the future. However, the risk of malignancy is exceedingly low - roughly two instances per 10,000 organ transplants. Healthcare professionals try to avoid using organs or tissue from people who have had cancer. Certain viruses, such as the human papillomavirus, or HPV, and bacteria, such as Helicobacter pylori, can cause cancer in some people. While a virus or bacteria can move from person to person, the malignancies they can cause cannot.

Overall, cancer is not contagious, and you should not avoid friends or loved ones who have the disease. This might make a cancer patient feel alone and lonely. In fact, it's more important than ever to lend your support and be nearby. Some studies have even shown that "Higher social support is connected to increased longevity.

Features of a Good Essay Have

A single obvious key concept should be the focus of an essay. There should be a distinct primary idea or theme sentence in each paragraph essay. To persuade or sufficiently enlighten the reader, the essay must have many key components that flow logically.

Be careful to answer the question thoroughly in all sections. Padding is not something you want to do. A lot of rambling and ranting is a solid indicator that the writer isn't sure what the proper response is.

Don't write a disorganized dialogue while thinking on your feet. The reader isn't going to play detective and try to figure out what you're up to. Make some preparations and ensure that what you write has a clear intro that specifies the points you'll make.

Don't just say something is true - back it up with factual evidence! What facts, statistics, instances, case studies, tests, and other evidence do you have to back up your main claim? You may be educated, likeable and so on, but no one is going to believe anything you say just because you say it. The distinction between a high and a low grade is frequently attributable to the appropriate utilization of supporting evidence.

Anyone can write an argument essay with different essay ideas using the suggestions above, but what makes it truly excellent is your own unique perspective on the topic. If you see something exciting or odd in your reading, mention it: if you find it fascinating, the examiner is likely to find it fascinating as well.

A Few Mistakes to Avoid

A bad essay involves faulty personal statements that combine a challenging subject matter with bad delivery, just as brilliant personal statements combine an unexpected theme with superb execution.

Academic essays are an inescapable component of each student's education. One of the most valuable abilities you may acquire during your college years is the ability to write properly. However, whether from private or public school, most high school and college students will make several mistakes before mastering the art of academic essay writing.

While you won't be able to completely avoid writing essays, you can avoid making the following common mistakes that turn a good essay into a terrible one.

To write an excellent essay, you must first develop a solid thesis statement. The thesis statement serves as the anchor for the rest of your essay. It should express a point of view and be as detailed as possible.

How to avoid: Compose a thesis statement that is both clear and compelling. Remember, this is the section of the article that should persuade readers to keep reading.

The body paragraphs in an essay are expected to represent your knowledge of the issue as well as the research you conducted to back up your argument. Excessive usage of quotes, facts, and information from the work you're analyzing or from your own study tarnishes your authority on the subject. They should only be utilized when they can make a point with the fluency that you can't equal with your own words.

How to avoid: Keep the essay's prompt in mind. If it's difficult, make sure you review the final draft before submitting the paper.

You may have heard that typos aren't a sign of poor grammar or foreign language skills and that they may be found in any piece of writing. However, publishing your essay without proofreading it indicates that you are not paying attention.

How to avoid: Properly follow the required format by your instructor: APA, MLA, Chicago, etc. Revise your writing thoroughly and look for errors, misspellings, and faulty structure.

Plagiarism is defined as "cloning, stealing and passing off someone else's work or topic ideas as one's own." Colleges and institutions have rigorous anti-plagiarism regulations and utilize a variety of methods to look for plagiarized information in your work. You won't get away with that, and it may even result in suspension. Professors can tell if anything was written by school students or if it originated from somewhere else, so don't try to fool them.

How to avoid: Never take a quotation as your own statement, and always credit your sources.

Don't forget about your audience. The essay's title should be a direct representation of its substance. When someone reads the title, they should be aware of the content of the essay. If you provide them a topic that is unrelated to the essay, they can be persuaded to read something you don't have, which will not make a favorable impression. Also, avoid using a generic title.

How to avoid: Don't make titles that are too long. Make it as concise and as unique as possible.

• All man is created by God as an equal creation
• Filipinos continue to believe that a woman's role in life is to clean and care for her household
• Students' in China are the best reader among Asian countries
• The damage caused by Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines demonstrates the government's disaster response measures' preparedness.
• Death penalty should be accepted as a capital punishment
• Democrat policies caused the rise of terrorism
• Divorce is causing increased juvenile crime
• Gun control laws should be more rigid
• Video games lead to the increase of violence among teens
• Global warming and climate change is exacerbated by people
• Smoking is an addiction that people are genetically predisposed to
• Pandemic level diseases all come from viruses found in wildlife
• Social media has a negative impact on mental health and should be limited for individuals under the age of 18
• Animal testing should be banned worldwide because it is inhumane and there are alternative methods available
• Colleges and universities should prioritize diversity and inclusion efforts in their admissions processes to create a more equitable society

As a writer and reader, you must be cautious about the sources of information you rely on. The fact that a source is printed or available on social media and the internet does not imply that it's reliable.

Any source like cell phones and books can provide you with information. You deserve the greatest, the most up-to-date, and the most trustworthy information as a critical reader. Make sure to vet everything you find to ensure that it is dependable.

Here are the factors that credible sources share:

• Materials published in the recent 10 years
• Research articles written by respected and renowned authors
• Websites registered by educational and government institutions (gov, edu, etc.)
• Academic or school system (JSTOR or Academic Search Premier)
• Materials from Google Scholar

Claim of cause-effect, claim of fact, claim of policy, claim of value, or whatever types of claim you choose - if you follow the preceding recommendations, your claims will be solid, and your paper will be as well. Writing an expository and persuasive essay needs practice. You must also be well-versed in your subject.

Overall, claims of fact aren't actually a fact - it just claims to be fact accompanied by its strong arguments. The attribution that the speaker has no direct method of proving the claim's reality makes it debatable. A compelling speaker must present reasons in support of the assertion, demonstrating that the assertion is most likely correct.

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Meaning of essay in English

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• I want to finish off this essay before I go to bed .
• His essay was full of spelling errors .
• Have you given that essay in yet ?
• Have you handed in your history essay yet ?
• I'd like to discuss the first point in your essay.
• boilerplate
• composition
• corresponding author
• dissertation
• essay question
• peer review
• go after someone
• go all out idiom
• go down swinging/fighting idiom
• go for it idiom
• go for someone
• shoot for the moon idiom
• shoot the works idiom
• smarten (someone/something) up
• smarten up your act idiom
• square the circle idiom

essay | American Dictionary

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make ends meet

to have just enough money to pay for the things that you need

Fakes and forgeries (Things that are not what they seem to be)

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, did you know 61 amazing facts.

General Education

Everybody loves looking like the smartest person in the room with cool and interest facts. While I’m a big fan of random and fun facts, Did You Know Facts are facts that you can use as supporting evidence, whether it’s in a timed essay, a debate, or even a conversation. Did You Know Facts help expand your knowledge base so you’re prepared for any situation, and have the benefit of making you seem like you know what you’re talking about on any subject.

What Is a "Did You Know?" Fact?

Did you know that you can incorporate outside facts into your essays, debates and conversations? Did you know that facts make your argument stronger and more interesting ? There's a whole world of fun and interesting facts out there, on all kinds of subjects. Read on to find out how to use "did you know facts" to your advantage, and dive into our list of fascinating facts.

Using Did You Know Facts in Essays

The SAT and ACT optional writing sections that include times essays, and the GRE has an essay in its mandatory writing section. Statewide standardized tests or tests you take in school may also time essay sections.

Supporting evidence from facts increases your score, since it makes your argument stronger, or can help you clarify a point or topic. Since timed essays are written in the same structure as an academic paper, where you defend a thesis , it’s always made stronger by factual or statistical evidence, particularly if you can show that you can apply outside knowledge to the prompt at hand.

It’s helpful to go into a test with a few Did You Know Facts already in mind, things that you can hopefully apply to whatever your prompt is. Historical, literary, and political facts are great for essays since they’re more broad, and can be applied to more prompts.

Using Did You Know Facts in Debates

In a debate, you should already be prepared and have your facts and ideas ready to go. However, a fun fact can impress your audience and judges and throw off your opponent. Even if the fact isn’t directly related to your topic, having more supporting evidence and showing how your argument influences other things than the ones you’ve outlined in your debate prep can help put the discussion in context, and enrich the debate.

Did You Know? Fun Facts in 7 Categories

This list offers some interesting facts in different categories. These facts are fun and interesting, but also can be used as supporting evidence. If you're looking for facts to keep in your toolbox for things like times essays, remember that statistics are always strongest, and to choose facts that are relevant to your topic .

Did You Know These Facts About Animals and Nature?

The closest living relative to humans are chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas. We share between 98 and 99.6% of DNA with these species. Gorillas can even catch colds from humans.

Most mammals have reproductive cycles. However, only humans, humpback whales, and elephants experience menopause.

To escape a crocodiles jaw, push your thumb into its eyeballs.

Cats have only lived with people for about 7,000 years. Compared to dogs, whose domestication may have begun as early as 25,000 years ago.

Most of the Earth’s longest-surviving species are found in the ocean. While cyanobacterias are technically the oldest living organisms on Earth, having appeared 2.8 billion years ago, the ocean sponge has also been on Earth for 580 million years, and jellyfish have been here for 550 million years.

85% of plant life is found in the ocean.

The Amazon rainforest is an amazing place. The Amazon produces over 20% of the world’s oxygen, and contains more than half of the world’s species of plants, animals, and insects.

Additionally, up to 73 million sharks per year die due to shark finning, where fishermen catch the shark, cut off its fins, and throw the still-living shark back into the water. Many countries have imposed full or partial bans on finning, mainly that the sharks need to arrive onshore with fins attached. A few countries, notably Israel, Egypt, Ecuador, Honduras, Brunei and the Maldives, have total shark fishing bans.

Many animals exhibit high levels of emotional intelligence. For example, cows form bonds akin to friendships, and often have a “best friend,” and Gentoo Penguins bring a potential mate a pebble to “propose.”

Dog noses are as unique as a human fingerprint.

Did You Know These Facts About History?

Paul Revere famously yelled “The British Are Coming!’ at the start of the American Revolution. Or...not. Revere was just one member of a secret militia operation to warn other militias about the British troops. A lot of colonial Americans still considered themselves British at that time, and would have likely been confused if he’d actually said or shouted this.

Many people came forward pretending to be Grand Duchess Anastasia after the Czar fell in the Russian Revolution. But Anastasia impersonators came from a long tradition of royal imposters; Louis XVII of France died during the French Revolution, and years later when the country was discussing a revival of the monarchy, over 100 people came forward claiming to be the prince.

There were more than 600 plots to kill Fidel Castro. Plots were crafted by a variety of enemies, and even included an exploding cigar.

The patent for the first car was filed in 1886 by Karl Benz for a gas-powered, 3-wheel motor car.

Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin were all nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. While not all nominees since have been controversy-free, whoever nominated these three probably regretted it.

We know now that the bubonic plague was in part spread by rats. But before the plague, Pope Gregory IX declared that cats were associated with devil worship and ordered that they be exterminated. Unfortunately, people listened and as a result the rat population flourished. It is believed that the increased rat population contributed to the plague. (Ahem, actions have consequences, and don’t mess with cats)

Jeanette Rankin was the first woman elected to Congress in 1916, 4 years before women had the right to vote. She was a pacifist from Montana, and was elected a second time in 1941. Both times, she voted no in regards to entering World Wars 1 and 2.

Seven of the 10 deadliest wars in history have taken place in China. The Taping Rebellion had twice as many deaths as World War 1.

Pineapples are all the rage now, but they were also a fad in the UK in the 1700s. People carried them around to show their wealth and status, and people decorated their homes with pineapples. You could even rent a pineapple as an accessory.

Bonus: Jeanette Rankin was one of the few suffragists elected to Congress. Unfortunately, Montana has not elected a woman to Congress since.

Did You Know These Facts About Science?

20% of the Earth’s oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforest.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth at 2,000 kilometers long.

Most of us are familiar with the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. But there are actually two dozen known states of matter. Plasma is one example, but scientists have also found other states of matter that only occur under certain conditions.

When helium is cooled to absolute zero (-460 degrees Fahrenheit) it becomes a liquid and starts flowing upward, against gravity.

The moon once had an atmosphere. Volcanic eruptions on the moon released trillions of tons of gas into the air, which created an atmosphere. The gases eventually became lost to space.

When Einstein posed his Theory of Relativity, he didn’t have the resources to prove this theory. However, the theory has been proven correct several times over the years. Most recently in 2018, scientists saw that as a black hole distorted light waves from a nearby star in a way that agrees with the theory.

Scientists have answered the question “what comes first the chicken or the egg?” The chicken came first because the egg shell contains a protein that can only be made from a hen.

It is mainly men who experience colorblindness.1/20 men experience color blindness as opposed to 1/200 women.

Scientists were called “natural philosophers” until the 17th century because science didn’t exist as a concept.

Did You Know These Facts About Famous People?

Natalie Portman is a Harvard graduate and has had papers published in two scientific journals, one of which was when she was in high school.

Some of Neil Patrick Harris’ characters are magicians, and so if the actor. His children’s book series, The Magic Misfits, is also about a group of magicians.

Colin Kaepernick got a pet tortoise at age 10, that fit in a shoebox. Today, the tortoise is 115 pounds and may live to be 135 years old.

The Doctor Suess book Green Eggs and Ham uses only 50 different words. Doctor Suess wrote the book on a bet from his publisher that he couldn’t write a book with fewer words than The Cat in the Hat, which has 225.

Woody Harrelson’s father was a hitman, who left the family when the actor was young. Woody didn’t find out about his father’s criminal activity until he heard a radio report on his trial.

Dr. Martin Luther King was a Star Trek fan. He convinced Nichelle Nichols, one of the first black women featured on a major TV show, not to quit, arguing that her role was making history. Mae Jamison, the first black woman to travel into space, later cited Nichols as one of her inspirations.

Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-serving British monarch. She has been on the throne for 67 years. The 93 year old queen’s heir is currently her son Charles, who is 70.

Isaac Asimov published so many books, essays, short fiction, and non-fiction, that if you read one per week it would take you 9 years to read all of his work.

Did You Know These Facts About Politics and Government?

In 2018, 50.3% of eligible voters turned out to vote. This was the highest turnout for a midterm election since 2018.

Also in 2018, 16% of voters said it was the first time they’d voted in a midterm election.

About ⅓ of Americans think the president affects their personal lives, and 63% say he affects the country’s mood.

The U.S. spends more on defense than the other 7 countries combined. Last year, the U.S. spent $649 billion, while China, Saudi Arabia, India, France, Russia, the U.K. and Germany spent a combined $609 billion

Any person born in the United States or to U.S. citizen parents is also a U.S. citizen.

The U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17th, 1787. It was meant not to “grant” rights, but to protect the rights people were born with.

Although the U.S. has a two party system, there are some other third parties. Notable ones now are the tea party and the green party, but the U.S. once had fringe parties like the Bull and Moose party.

Americans throw out 4.4 pounds of trash daily.

Did You Know These Facts About Sports?

The NCAA required football players to study during halftime in 1925

The Stanley Cup was originally two stories tall, but it was deemed too difficult to transport

Basketball legend Michael Jordan also played baseball, and allegedly still received his basketball salary while a member of the Chicago White Sox system.

Only three active players are in the top 50 on the all-time MLB home run list, yet 27 of the last 50 have played within the last 50 years.

There has never been a three-peat in the Super Bowl

Until 1992, female athletes competing in the Olympics had to undergo mandatory sex verification testing, due to fears that male athletes would disguise themselves as female to gain an advantage. The Olympic Committee still maintains the right to conduct testing if “suspicions arise.” There were no such requirements for male athletes.

Punters have the longest NFL careers, at an average of 4.87 years.

In 1972, Title IX was adopted, and opened the door for women and girls participation in sports. Before Title IX, women were 2% of college students participating in sports, and girls were 7% of high school students participating in sports. In 2019, high school girls are 42.7% of sports participants, and college women make up 44% of athletes.

Did You Know These Facts About Pop Culture?

Friday the 13th was filmed at a Boy Scout Camp. Fans of the film would go up to the camp to visit, take photos, and sometimes scare the campers, to the point where the camp had to ask on its website for people to stop coming there.

Elvis’s manager sold buttons that said “I hate Elvis” in order to make money off the many people who found his music controversial.

The world’s oldest piano is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It dates back to 1720.

Red Dawn was the first movie to be released with a PG-13 rating. It was released on August 10th, 1984.

The first movie to be released with an X rating (no admittance under the age of 16) was Greetings in 1968, Robert de Niro’s debut film. The rating was later reduced to R.

Mr. Rogers always announced when he was feeding his fish. He did so because a blind viewer wrote in, asking if the fish was okay, since she couldn’t see that he’d fed it.

The show M*A*S*H* was on TV for almost 13 years. The show was about the Korean War, in which American involvement only lasted three years.

In Game of Thrones, cloaks the members of the Night’s Watch wear are made from Ikea rugs

The shows Saved by the Bell, That’s so Raven, and iCarly were all filmed on the same “school” set, which is why they look so similar.

As they say, knowledge is power! And you, my friend, are one powerful person. While you can certainly use this list of facts to get high scores on your essays or stump your debate opponent, I also recommend that you take the opportunity to learn more about the things on the list. A lot of these facts are just the beginning of some super interesting topics and stories, and the first step in helping you become more informed about the world in which we live. Now you know, and happy reading!

What's Next?

Looking for compelling essay ideas? Check out these lists of Argumentative Essay Topics and Persuasive Essay Topics .

While you're working on your essay writing skills, make sure to read these guides on and writing an argumentative essay , and this guide on writing on analytical essay .

Are you taking the SAT or ACT writing section? Read How to Get an 800 on the SAT Writing and How to Write an ACT Essay .

And look for our lists of debate topics and research paper topics !

Carrie holds a Bachelors in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College, and is currently pursuing an MFA. She worked in book publishing for several years, and believes that books can open up new worlds. She loves reading, the outdoors, and learning about new things.

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The Motivated Ignorance of Trump Supporters

They can’t claim they didn’t know.

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Produced by ElevenLabs and News Over Audio (NOA) using AI narration.

O n the morning of August 8, 2022 , 30 FBI agents and two federal prosecutors conducted a court-authorized search of Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, estate. The reason for the search, according to a 38-count indictment , was that after leaving office Trump mishandled classified documents, including some involving sensitive nuclear programs, and then obstructed the government’s efforts to reclaim them.

On the day before the FBI obtained the search warrant, one of the agents on the case sent an email to his bosses, according to The New York Times . “The F.B.I. intends for the execution of the warrant to be handled in a professional, low key manner,” he wrote, “and to be mindful of the optics of the search.” It was, and they were.

Over the course of 10 hours, the Times reported, “there was little drama as [agents] hauled away a trove of boxes containing highly sensitive state secrets in three vans and a rented Ryder box truck.”

On the day of the search, Trump was out of the state. The club at Mar-a-Lago was closed. Agents alerted one of Trump’s lawyers in advance of the search. And before the search, the FBI communicated with the Secret Service “to make sure we could get into Mar-a-Lago with no issues,” according to the testimony of former Assistant FBI Director Steven D’Antuono. It wasn’t a “show of force,” he said. “I was adamant about that, and that was something we all agreed on.”

The search warrant itself included a standard statement from the Department of Justice’s policy on the use of deadly force. There was nothing exceptional about it. But that didn’t prevent Trump or his supporters from claiming that President Joe Biden and federal law-enforcement agents had been involved in a plot to assassinate the former president.

In a fundraising appeal, Trump wrote,

BIDEN’S DOJ WAS AUTHORIZED TO SHOOT ME! It’s just been revealed that Biden’s DOJ was authorized to use DEADLY FORCE for their DESPICABLE raid in Mar-a-Lago. You know they’re just itching to do the unthinkable … Joe Biden was locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger.

On May 23, Trump publicly claimed that the Department of Justice “authorized the use of ‘deadly force’ in their Illegal, UnConstitutional, and Un-American RAID of Mar-a-Lago, and that would include against our Great Secret Service, who they thought might be ‘in the line of fire.’”

Read: The two-time Trump voters who have had enough

Trump supporters echoed those claims, as he knew they would. Steve Bannon, one of the architects of the MAGA movement, said , “This was an attempted assassination attempt on Donald John Trump or people associated with him. They wanted a gunfight.” Right-wing radio hosts stoked one another’s fury, claiming that there’s nothing Trump critics won’t do to stop him, up to and including attempting to assassinate him and putting the lives of his Secret Service detail in danger.

The statement by Trump went beyond inflaming his supporters; it created a mindset that moved them closer to violence, the very same mindset that led thousands of them to attack the Capitol on January 6 and threaten to hang Vice President Mike Pence. Which is why Special Counsel Jack Smith filed a motion asking the judge overseeing Trump’s classified-documents case to block him from making public statements that could put law enforcement in danger. “Those deceptive and inflammatory assertions irresponsibly put a target on the backs of the FBI agents involved in this case, as Trump well knows,” he wrote.

M otivated ignorance refers to willfully blinding oneself to facts. It’s choosing not to know. In many cases, for many people, knowing the truth is simply too costly, too psychologically painful, too threatening to their core identity. Nescience is therefore incentivized; people actively decide to remain in a state of ignorance. If they are presented with strong arguments against a position they hold, or compelling evidence that disproves the narrative they embrace, they will reject them. Doing so fends off the psychological distress of the realization that they’ve been lying to themselves and to others.

Motivated ignorance is a widespread phenomenon; most people, to one degree or another, employ it. What matters is the degree to which one embraces it, and the consequences of doing so. In the case of MAGA world, the lies that Trump supporters believe, or say they believe, are obviously untrue and obviously destructive. Since 2016 there’s been a ratchet effect, each conspiracy theory getting more preposterous and more malicious. Things that Trump supporters wouldn’t believe or accept in the past have since become loyalty tests. Election denialism is one example. The claim that Trump is the target of “lawfare,” victim to the weaponization of the justice system, is another.

I have struggled to understand how to view individuals who have not just voted for Trump but who celebrate him, who don’t merely tolerate him but who constantly defend his lawlessness and undisguised cruelty. How should I think about people who, in other domains of their lives, are admirable human beings and yet provide oxygen to his malicious movement? How complicit are people who live in an epistemic hall of mirrors and have sincerely—or half-sincerely—convinced themselves they are on the side of the angels?

Throughout my career I’ve tried to resist the temptation to make unwarranted judgments about the character of people based on their political views. For one thing, it’s quite possible my views on politics are misguided or distorted, so I exercise a degree of humility in assessing the views of others. For another, I know full well that politics forms only a part of our lives, and not the most important part. People can be personally upstanding and still be wrong on politics.

But something has changed for me in the Trump era. I struggle more than I once did to wall off a person’s character from their politics when their politics is binding them to an unusually—and I would say undeniably—destructive person. The lies that MAGA world parrots are so manifestly untrue, and the Trump ethic is so manifestly cruel, that they are difficult to set aside.

If a person insists, despite the overwhelming evidence, that Trump was the target of an assassination plot hatched by Biden and carried out by the FBI, this is more than an intellectual failure; it is a moral failure, and a serious one at that. It’s only reasonable to conclude that such Trump supporters have not made a good-faith effort to understand what is really and truly happening. They are choosing to live within the lie, to invoke the words of the former Czech dissident and playwright Vaclav Havel.

One of the criteria that need to be taken into account in assessing the moral culpability of people is how absurd the lies are that they are espousing; a second is how intentionally they are avoiding evidence that exposes the lies because they are deeply invested in the lie; and a third is is how consequential the lie is.

It’s one thing to embrace a conspiracy theory that is relevant only to you and your tiny corner of the world. It’s an entirely different matter if the falsehood you’re embracing and promoting is venomous, harming others, and eroding cherished principles, promoting violence and subverting American democracy.

I n his book The Bible Told Them So: How Southern Evangelicals Fought to Preserve White Supremacy , J. Russell Hawkins tells the story of a June 1963 gathering of more than 200 religious leaders in the White House. President John F. Kennedy was trying to rally their support for civil-rights legislation.

Among those in attendance was Albert Garner, a Baptist minister from Florida, who told Kennedy that many southern white Christians held “strong moral convictions” on racial integration. It was, according to Garner, “against the will of their Creator.”

“Segregation is a principle of the Old Testament,” Garner said, adding, “Prior to this century neither Christianity nor any denomination of it ever accepted the integration philosophy.”

Two months later, in Hanahan, South Carolina, members of a Southern Baptist church—they described themselves as “Christ centered” and “Bible believing”—voted to take a firm stand against civil-rights legislation.

“The Hanahan Baptists were not alone,” according to Hawkins. “Across the South, white Christians thought the president was flaunting Christian orthodoxy in pursuing his civil rights agenda.” Kennedy “simply could not comprehend the truth Garner was communicating: based on their religious beliefs, southern white Christians thought integration was evil.”

A decade earlier, the Reverend Carey Daniel, pastor of First Baptist Church in West Dallas, Texas, had delivered a sermon titled “ God the Original Segregationist ,” in response to the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education . It became influential within pro-segregationist southern states. Daniel later became president of the Central Texas Division of the Citizens Council of America for Segregation, which asked for a boycott of all businesses, lunch counters included, that served Black patrons. In 1960, Daniel attacked those “trying to destroy the white South by breaking the color line, thus giving aid and comfort to our Communist enemies.”

Now ask yourself this: Did the fierce advocacy on behalf of segregation, and the dehumanization of Black Americans, reflect in any meaningful way on the character of those who advanced such views, even if, say, they volunteered once a month at a homeless shelter and wrote a popular commentary on the Book of Romans? Readers can decide whether MAGA supporters are better or worse than Albert Garner and Carey Daniel. My point is that all of us believe there’s some place on the continuum in which the political choices we make reflect on our character. Some movements are overt and malignant enough that to willingly be a part of them becomes ethically problematic.

Read: The voters who don’t really know Trump

This doesn’t mean those in MAGA world can’t be impressive people in other domains of life, just like critics of Trump may act reprehensibly in their personal lives and at their jobs. I’ve never argued, and I wouldn’t argue today, that politics tells us the most important things about a person’s life. Trump supporters and Trump critics alike can brighten the lives of others, encourage those who are suffering, and demonstrate moments of kindness and grandeur.

I understand, too, if their moral convictions keep them from voting for Joe Biden.

But it would be an affectation for me, at least, to pretend that in this particular circumstance otherwise good people, in joining the MAGA movement, in actively advocating on its behalf, and in planning to cast a vote for Trump, haven’t—given all we know—done something grievously wrong.

Some of them are cynical and know better; others are blind to the cultlike world to which they belong. Still others have convinced themselves that Trump, although flawed, is the best of bad options. It’s a “binary choice,” they say, and so they have talked themselves into supporting arguably the most comprehensively corrupt man in the history of American politics, certainly in presidential politics.

Whichever justification applies, they are giving not just their vote but their allegiance to a man and movement that have done great harm to our country and its ideals, and which seek to inflict even deeper wounds in the years ahead. Many of them are self-proclaimed evangelicals and fundamentalists, and they are also doing inestimable damage to the Christian faith they claim is central to their lives. That collaboration needs to be named. A generation from now, and probably sooner, it will be obvious to everyone that Trump supporters can’t claim they didn’t know.

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• How to write an argumentative essay | Examples & tips

How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An argumentative essay expresses an extended argument for a particular thesis statement . The author takes a clearly defined stance on their subject and builds up an evidence-based case for it.

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Table of contents

When do you write an argumentative essay, approaches to argumentative essays, introducing your argument, the body: developing your argument, concluding your argument, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about argumentative essays.

You might be assigned an argumentative essay as a writing exercise in high school or in a composition class. The prompt will often ask you to argue for one of two positions, and may include terms like “argue” or “argument.” It will frequently take the form of a question.

The prompt may also be more open-ended in terms of the possible arguments you could make.

Argumentative writing at college level

At university, the vast majority of essays or papers you write will involve some form of argumentation. For example, both rhetorical analysis and literary analysis essays involve making arguments about texts.

In this context, you won’t necessarily be told to write an argumentative essay—but making an evidence-based argument is an essential goal of most academic writing, and this should be your default approach unless you’re told otherwise.

Examples of argumentative essay prompts

At a university level, all the prompts below imply an argumentative essay as the appropriate response.

Your research should lead you to develop a specific position on the topic. The essay then argues for that position and aims to convince the reader by presenting your evidence, evaluation and analysis.

• Don’t just list all the effects you can think of.
• Do develop a focused argument about the overall effect and why it matters, backed up by evidence from sources.
• Don’t just provide a selection of data on the measures’ effectiveness.
• Do build up your own argument about which kinds of measures have been most or least effective, and why.
• Don’t just analyze a random selection of doppelgänger characters.
• Do form an argument about specific texts, comparing and contrasting how they express their thematic concerns through doppelgänger characters.

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An argumentative essay should be objective in its approach; your arguments should rely on logic and evidence, not on exaggeration or appeals to emotion.

There are many possible approaches to argumentative essays, but there are two common models that can help you start outlining your arguments: The Toulmin model and the Rogerian model.

Toulmin arguments

The Toulmin model consists of four steps, which may be repeated as many times as necessary for the argument:

• Make a claim
• Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim
• Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim)
• Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives

The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays. You don’t have to use these specific terms (grounds, warrants, rebuttals), but establishing a clear connection between your claims and the evidence supporting them is crucial in an argumentative essay.

Say you’re making an argument about the effectiveness of workplace anti-discrimination measures. You might:

• Claim that unconscious bias training does not have the desired results, and resources would be better spent on other approaches
• Cite data to support your claim
• Explain how the data indicates that the method is ineffective
• Anticipate objections to your claim based on other data, indicating whether these objections are valid, and if not, why not.

Rogerian arguments

The Rogerian model also consists of four steps you might repeat throughout your essay:

• Discuss what the opposing position gets right and why people might hold this position
• Highlight the problems with this position
• Present your own position , showing how it addresses these problems
• Suggest a possible compromise —what elements of your position would proponents of the opposing position benefit from adopting?

This model builds up a clear picture of both sides of an argument and seeks a compromise. It is particularly useful when people tend to disagree strongly on the issue discussed, allowing you to approach opposing arguments in good faith.

Say you want to argue that the internet has had a positive impact on education. You might:

• Acknowledge that students rely too much on websites like Wikipedia
• Argue that teachers view Wikipedia as more unreliable than it really is
• Suggest that Wikipedia’s system of citations can actually teach students about referencing
• Suggest critical engagement with Wikipedia as a possible assignment for teachers who are skeptical of its usefulness.

You don’t necessarily have to pick one of these models—you may even use elements of both in different parts of your essay—but it’s worth considering them if you struggle to structure your arguments.

Regardless of which approach you take, your essay should always be structured using an introduction , a body , and a conclusion .

Like other academic essays, an argumentative essay begins with an introduction . The introduction serves to capture the reader’s interest, provide background information, present your thesis statement , and (in longer essays) to summarize the structure of the body.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

The body of an argumentative essay is where you develop your arguments in detail. Here you’ll present evidence, analysis, and reasoning to convince the reader that your thesis statement is true.

In the standard five-paragraph format for short essays, the body takes up three of your five paragraphs. In longer essays, it will be more paragraphs, and might be divided into sections with headings.

Each paragraph covers its own topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Each of these topics must contribute to your overall argument; don’t include irrelevant information.

This example paragraph takes a Rogerian approach: It first acknowledges the merits of the opposing position and then highlights problems with that position.

Hover over different parts of the example to see how a body paragraph is constructed.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

An argumentative essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes and reflects on the arguments made in the body.

No new arguments or evidence appear here, but in longer essays you may discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your argument and suggest topics for future research. In all conclusions, you should stress the relevance and importance of your argument.

Hover over the following example to see the typical elements of a conclusion.

The internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education; occasional pitfalls aside, its value is evident in numerous applications. The future of teaching lies in the possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. As the popularity of distance learning shows, students value the flexibility and accessibility offered by digital education, and educators should fully embrace these advantages. The internet’s dangers, real and imaginary, have been documented exhaustively by skeptics, but the internet is here to stay; it is time to focus seriously on its potential for good.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
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• False cause fallacy
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An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.

In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.

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Fact Sheet: DHS Announces New Process to Promote the Unity and Stability of Families

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced actions to promote family unity in the immigration process, consistent with the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to keeping families together. This announcement utilizes existing authorities to promote family unity, but only Congress can fix our broken immigration system.

Under current law, noncitizens married to a U.S. citizen may apply for lawful permanent residence through their marriage to a U.S. citizen. However, to apply for lawful permanent residence, many noncitizens must first depart the United States and wait to be processed abroad, resulting in a prolonged, potentially indefinite, period of separation from their U.S. citizen family members and causing tremendous hardship to all concerned. Consequently, these families live in fear and face deep uncertainty about their future.

To address this challenge, DHS will establish a new process to consider, on a case-by-case basis, requests for certain noncitizen spouses of U.S. citizens who have lived in the United States for 10 years or more; do not pose a threat to public safety or national security; are otherwise eligible to apply for adjustment of status; and merit a favorable exercise of discretion. If eligible, these noncitizens will be able to apply for lawful permanent residence without having to leave the United States. DHS estimates that approximately 500,000 noncitizen spouses of U.S. citizens could be eligible to access this process; on average, these noncitizens have resided in the United States for 23 years. Approximately 50,000 children of these spouses also will be eligible for this process. Noncitizens who pose a threat to national security or public safety will not be eligible for this process, as aligned with our immigration enforcement priorities. If a noncitizen poses a threat to national security or public safety, DHS will detain, remove, or refer them to other federal agencies for further vetting, investigation, or prosecution as appropriate.

Today’s actions build on unprecedented steps by the Biden-Harris Administration to strengthen family unity including by implementing family reunification parole processes for nationals of Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Ecuador; updating and modernizing the Cuban and Haitian family reunification parole processes; leading the Family Reunification Task Force to reunify nearly 800 children with their families who were separated; and establishing country-specific parole processes for certain nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) who have a U.S.-based supporter.

Eligibility and Process

To be considered on a case-by-case basis for this process, an individual must:

• Be present in the United States without admission or parole;
• Have been continuously present in the United States for at least 10 years as of June 17, 2024; and
• Have a legally valid marriage to a U.S. citizen as of June 17, 2024.

In addition, individuals must have no disqualifying criminal history or otherwise constitute a threat to national security or public safety and should otherwise merit a favorable exercise of discretion.

Noncitizen children of potential requestors may also be considered for parole under this process if they are physically present in the United States without admission or parole and have a qualifying stepchild relationship to a U.S. citizen as of June 17, 2024.

In order to be considered for parole, an individual will need to file a form with USCIS along with supporting documentation to show they meet the requirements and pay a fee. Further information regarding eligibility and the application process, including a notice in the Federal Register, will be published in the near term. USCIS will reject any filings or individual requests received before the date when the application period begins later this summer.

Upon receipt of a properly filed parole in place request USCIS will determine on a case-by-case basis whether a grant of parole is warranted and whether the applicant merits a favorable exercise of discretion. All requests will take into consideration the potential requestor’s previous immigration history, criminal history, the results of background checks and national security and public safety vetting, and any other relevant information available to or requested by USCIS. USCIS has strong processes in place to identify and address potential fraud, which will be applied here to ensure the integrity of this program.

Other Action

In addition, DHS will join the Department of State in an effort to more efficiently facilitate certain employment-based nonimmigrant visas for eligible individuals, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and undocumented noncitizens, who have graduated from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education. By clarifying and enhancing the existing process, the Department of State’s policy will give U.S. employers increased confidence that they can hire the talent they need, and that they will be able to quickly get to work. DHS will implement the Department of State’s policy update.

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FACT FOCUS: Biden’s pause as he left a star-studded LA fundraiser becomes a target for opponents

Biden’s pause as he left a star-studded LA fundraiser becomes a target for opponents

President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event with former President Barack Obama at the Peacock Theater, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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President Joe Biden blows a kiss as he arrives for a campaign event with former President Barack Obama moderated by Jimmy Kimmel at the Peacock Theater, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Video from a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles for President Joe Biden on Saturday is circulating on social media with claims that he froze up onstage as he exited the event.

“Biden froze again last night and had to get escorted out by Obama,” reads one post on X that had received approximately 22,000 likes and 5,600 shares as of Monday. “Is this normal?”

Members of his campaign and administration say the Democratic president stopped to take in cheers and applause as he left a sit-down with former President Barack Obama and comedian Jimmy Kimmel that helped raise more than $30 million for his reelection campaign. A spokesperson for Kimmel echoed this view.

The video is the most recent in a series of clips taken at public events, some of them edited, that are being used to suggest Biden is mentally and physically unfit for office.

Here’s a closer look at the facts.

CLAIM: Biden froze onstage during his fundraiser in Los Angeles on Saturday night and had to be led away by Obama.

THE FACTS: Biden paused amid cheers and applause as he exited the stage with his predecessor following an interview moderated by late-night host Kimmel.

Former President Donald Trump shared a video on his social media platform Truth Social that showed a grainy version of Biden stopping and looking out into the audience as he departed. “Is this really who you want to be your president?” Trump asked in the post.

Separate footage from the event provided to The Associated Press by Biden campaign spokesperson James Singer shows the president waving, pointing, clapping and giving the thumbs-up to the audience alongside Obama while Kimmel waits off to the side. Biden then stands still for about seven seconds looking out at the crowd. He starts moving again when Obama briefly takes his arm and puts his hand on his back as the pair walks offstage.

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates described the moment as “the President taking in an applauding crowd for a few seconds.” Singer attributed the negative characterizations as a distraction tactic from those who “are so scared of losing to Joe Biden, they’ll make anything up to distract from the fact that their candidate for president, Donald Trump, has been convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual assault, committed financial fraud, and only cares about himself.”

In response to a question at a press briefing on Monday about videos that have been edited to make Biden appear frail or confused, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called such footage “cheap fakes video” that are “done in bad faith.” She added that they demonstrate “everything that we need to know about how desperate, how desperate Republicans are here.”

A source who helped organize, and attended, the fundraiser told the AP that there was nothing noteworthy about this moment and that Obama wanted to be “chummy” by walking offstage with Biden.

Lewis Kay, a spokesperson for Kimmel, called the claims spreading online “nonsense.”

“Attendees in the front were shouting at him, and President Biden was trying to hear them,” he wrote in an email to the AP. “It’s as simple as that.”

The fundraiser took in a record $30 million-plus, according to Biden’s campaign. George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Barbra Streisand were among those who took the stage at the event. During their interview with Kimmel, Biden and Obama both stressed the need to defeat Trump in a race that’s expected to be exceedingly close.

This is part of the AP’s effort to address widely shared false and misleading information that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP .

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Fact Check: German lawmakers have not voted to decriminalise possessing child pornography 

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Fact Check: Video shows a hailstorm in Romania, not a ‘mud hail’ in Arkansas

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Juneteenth: What to know about the historical celebration that's now a federal holiday

On june 19, 1865 slaves in galveston, texas were given the news that they were freed by president abraham lincoln. now, the day is a holiday that celebrates the "second independence day" in america..

Three years after it was made a federal holiday , Juneteenth 2024 marks a day of celebration as well as education.

The federal holiday known as “Second Independence Day,” marks the day the last African American slaves were notified that they had been freed from their masters, the National Museum of African American History and Culture said.

Dr. Tim Goler, a professor of urban affairs and sociology courses and director of research for the Center for African American Public Policy at Norfolk State University, told USA TODAY that Juneteenth or "Freedom Day" is a day that shows the "beauty of our culture" that everyone should participate in.

The origins of Juneteenth date back to June 19, 1865 – more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation - when the Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, Goler said.

“This delay and the enforcement of the emancipation in Texas was due to a lack of enforcement until this general arrived," Goler said. "Then Juneteenth thus became this kind of powerful symbol of freedom and the long struggle for civil rights."

The Juneteenth National Independence Day A ct was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate in June 2021. The bill was signed by President Joe Biden on June 17, 2021, which officially made the day a federal holiday.

Here's what you need to know about Juneteenth.

An African American holiday: Predating Juneteenth was nearly lost to history. It's back.

Black History, Juneteenth becoming more cemented in fabric of US

Although Juneteenth is now becoming a part of the conversation regarding Black History, there was a time when Black History was not widely discussed within the educational system, especially for historians, said Dr. Alan Singer, a professor of teaching, learning and technology at Hofstra University who writes about the history of slavery and racism.

“I didn't learn it (until) I was an adult, really (in the) 1990s, when as a teacher, I started studying more, so I (could) incorporate it into my lessons,” he said. “I went to City College in the 1960s and they had first introduced a course called ‘American Negro History’ and that was the first time I had learned about any of these things. I took the course because I became a political activist while at City College and I needed to know more about the African American civil rights struggles.”

Singer also adds that he attended high school during the Civil Rights Movement and was never taught about Black History. To change that, he decided to educate himself more to properly teach his students.

“I just felt a heavy responsibility as a teacher to really present a much more accurate picture of the history of the United States,” he said.

Goler adds that Juneteenth has been recognized for years within the Black community and history. Now, the day has become more publicly known.

"In recent years, Juneteenth has gained a much wider recognition. It's only been since 2021 that it became that designated as a federal holiday," he said. "Many Black people and Black communities around the country have celebrated Juneteenth. It's just becoming much more wider and much more visible now."

Commercialization of Juneteenth

Since Juneteenth has been declared a federal holiday, many retailers have unveiled Juneteenth attire through clothing, footwear, hats and other merchandise.

"The question is, 'who benefits from the commercialization of Juneteenth?' I’d definitely like to see more African American (and) more Black businesses benefit," Goler said. "The trend of commercialization, we risk the overshadowing of the historical context, and the ongoing struggle for racial equality that Juneteenth represents."

Singer hopes that companies that are selling Juneteenth products are also advocating for more inclusivity.

“What I'm arguing is that what we need to do is to use a day like Juneteenth as a launching pad to build a more just society,” he said. “It should not just be about the past, it has to be about the future.”

Goler hopes that the holiday will bring everyone together but also educate them about this important day in Black History.

"I think as we observe Juneteenth, it's important to focus on the education, reflection, the community engagement aspect and really ensure that the day remains of a pungent reminder of our continued and enduring fight for freedom and justice," he said.

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at  [email protected] . Follow her on  Instagram ,  Threads  and  X (Twitter) .

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How Britain’s Labour Party Became Electable Again

In less than five years, the opposition Labour Party has gone from massive defeat to the favorite to win next month’s election. How did they do it?

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By Mark Landler

Reporting from London

Two weeks before an election that is expected to catapult him into 10 Downing Street, the leader of Britain’s Labour Party, Keir Starmer, is tiptoeing on the campaign trail, the latest practitioner of the “Ming vase strategy.”

The phrase, which refers to a politician gingerly avoiding slips to protect a lead in the polls, is credited to Roy Jenkins, a more freewheeling British politician, who likened a previous Labour candidate, Tony Blair, on the eve of his 1997 landslide, to a man “carrying a priceless Ming vase across a highly polished floor.”

In truth, Mr. Starmer has been carrying the vase for a lot longer than this six-week campaign. He has nursed his party’s double-digit polling lead for more than 18 months, methodically repositioning Labour as a credible center-left alternative to the divided, erratic, sometimes extremist Conservatives.

It’s the culmination of an extraordinary four-year project , in which Mr. Starmer, 61, purged his left-wing predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, and his loyalists; went after the anti-Semitism that had contaminated the party’s ranks; and pulled its economic and national security policies closer to the center.

“When he first became leader in 2020, he made it his business to take away all the negatives that prevented people from voting Labour in 2019,” said Steven Fielding, an emeritus professor of political history at the University of Nottingham. As a result, “He’s been able to expand the pool of voters.”

Robert Ford, a professor of political science at the University of Manchester, said, “Four years ago, Keir Starmer was basically offering Corbynism with a human face — and he’s ditched all that. He’s moved to the center because the incentives have moved there, and the audience has moved there.”

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