Booth’s claim model:

Although I acknowledge X

I claim Y

Because of Z

The United States health care system is flawed.

The United States needs to develop a health care system like France.

France’s health care system pairs the National Health Insurance system while maintaining the private sector for supplementary insurance. This ideal conglomeration of public and private insurance can bring positive change to the U.S. health industry.

Genetically modified foods are not the solution to today’s food

or economic problems. While the genetically modified food industry makes the

promise of genetically modified food’s advantageous nature, it is merely lulling us as consumers into a false sense of security, for GM foods are not the solution to world food problems.

Even though the genetically modified food industry promises higher yields and profitability with GM foods, the biotechnical food industry is deceptive, costly, and cannot live up to its claim of holding the potential to solve world hunger.

Use the introductory qualifying clause to acknowledge three kinds of alternative views:

A point of view that conflicts with yours

While psychologists concede that multiple variables affect childhood resilience, early intensive intervention programs offer the best hope for fostering resilience in children who are trauma victims.

Something your readers believe but your claim challenges

While many people worry that childhood trauma indelibly marks a child for low success later in life, early intensive intervention programs offer hope for fostering resilience in children who are trauma victims, thereby giving children the chance for healthy, successful adult lives.

A condition that limits the scope or confidence of your claim

Although it’s difficult to measure childhood resilience, early intensive intervention programs offer the best hope for fostering resilience in children who are trauma victims

Inflate your claim. Say more and then cut it later. Saying more offers the potential to help you find the exact language for the richest concepts to develop in your argument.

Even though our culture accepts breast augmentation, women suffer emotionally because of this devastating elective surgery.

Breast augmentation has become increasingly popular for women, yet the procedure has destructive consequences and should be avoided at all costs.

Although breast augmentation has become increasingly accepted in our culture, women who pursue this elective surgery are predisposed to an array of emotional problems, making the surgery a sad reflection of their devalued self-esteem.

1) How specific is the writer’s language? Think of synonyms they can try out. Suggest new language they could try in their claim. Help the writer “inflate” her/his claim.

2) What introductory qualifying clause can the writer use to acknowledge alternative views? How could they introduce:

-A point of view that conflicts with their claim

-Something their readers may believe but their claim challenges

-A condition that limits the scope or confidence of their claim

3) How significant is this claim? What beliefs or attitudes does it ask a reader to change or rethink?

4) What is your first or strongest opposition to this claim?

5) How can the writer use a HEDGE to limit his/her certainty?