TDA Claim and Argument Development 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What distinguishes a 'claim' from 'evidence' in a TDA response?
- A claim is the writer's argument or interpretation; evidence is the textual support drawn from the passage (Correct answer)
- A claim is copied from the text; evidence is written by the student
- A claim always comes after the evidence in a paragraph
- A claim and evidence are interchangeable terms in TDA writing
Correct answer: A claim is the writer's argument or interpretation; evidence is the textual support drawn from the passage
The claim is the writer's original interpretive assertion, while evidence is the specific textual detail that supports that assertion.
Question 2: What is 'logos' as a rhetorical strategy, and how does recognizing it help in TDA analysis?
- Logos is an appeal to logic through facts, statistics, and reasoning, and identifying it shows how an author builds a rational argument (Correct answer)
- Logos is a reference to Greek mythology used to add cultural depth
- Logos is the brand or logo of the publication in which the text appeared
- Logos is an emotional appeal designed to make the audience feel sympathy
Correct answer: Logos is an appeal to logic through facts, statistics, and reasoning, and identifying it shows how an author builds a rational argument
Recognizing logos helps TDA writers analyze how authors use logical evidence and structured reasoning to persuade their audience.
Question 3: How should a student respond when the TDA prompt asks them to evaluate the author's argument?
- Assess the strength of the evidence, the clarity of the reasoning, and whether the craft choices effectively support the claim (Correct answer)
- Restate the author's argument and say whether you personally agree with it
- List every piece of evidence in the passage without analysis
- Focus only on spelling and grammar errors in the author's writing
Correct answer: Assess the strength of the evidence, the clarity of the reasoning, and whether the craft choices effectively support the claim
Evaluating an argument requires analyzing how effectively the author's evidence, reasoning, and craft choices work together to support the central claim.
Question 4: What is the difference between an 'implicit' and an 'explicit' claim in a text?
- An explicit claim is directly stated; an implicit claim is suggested through evidence and must be inferred (Correct answer)
- An explicit claim uses more evidence than an implicit claim
- An implicit claim is always stronger than an explicit claim
- An explicit claim only appears in the introduction of a text
Correct answer: An explicit claim is directly stated; an implicit claim is suggested through evidence and must be inferred
Explicit claims are clearly stated by the author, while implicit claims require readers to draw inferences from the evidence presented.
Question 5: Which transition best signals that a writer is moving from evidence to analysis in a TDA body paragraph?
- 'This demonstrates that...' or 'This reveals that...' (Correct answer)
- 'For example,...' or 'According to the text,...'
- 'In conclusion,...' or 'To summarize,...'
- 'First,...' or 'Next,...'
Correct answer: 'This demonstrates that...' or 'This reveals that...'
Phrases like 'this demonstrates' or 'this reveals' signal the shift from quoting evidence to explaining its significance.
Question 6: A student's body paragraph begins with evidence and ends with a claim. What revision is needed?
- Reorganize so the claim comes first, followed by evidence, and then analysis explaining the connection (Correct answer)
- Add more evidence quotes before the claim to balance the paragraph
- Remove the claim entirely and let the evidence speak for itself
- Move the analysis before the evidence to avoid repeating ideas
Correct answer: Reorganize so the claim comes first, followed by evidence, and then analysis explaining the connection
A properly structured TDA body paragraph follows the pattern: topic sentence (mini-claim) → evidence → analysis → link back to thesis.
TDA Claim and Argument Development 2
What distinguishes a 'claim' from 'evidence' in a TDA response?