Reading and Writing Skills Unit 10:

Claims of Fact, Value, and Policy

Table of Contents

Objectives 2

Lesson 1: Claim of Fact 3

Warm-up! 3
Learn about It! 3
Check Your Understanding 5
Let’s Step Up! 6

Lesson 2: Claim of Value 7

Warm-up! 7
Learn about It! 7
Check Your Understanding 9
Let’s Step Up! 9

Lesson 3: Claim of Policy 10

Warm-up! 10
Learn about It! 11
Check Your Understanding 12
Let’s Step Up! 13

Lesson 4: Identifying Claims Explicitly and Implicitly Made in a Written Text 14

Warm-up! 14
Learn about It! 15
Check Your Understanding 17
Let’s Step Up! 17

Performance Task 18

Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn? 21

Wrap Up 21

Bibliography 23
GRADE 11/12 | Reading and Writing Skills

UNIT 10
Claim of Fact, Value, and Policy
A piece of writing, especially the persuasive or
argumentative kind, is filled with propositions or claims.
Identifying such claims, either the obvious or the subtle
ones, is essential to understanding the purpose of the
text as well as its main ideas. This unit provides
information regarding the different types of claims, which
would greatly help you improve your skills in reading and
writing.

Objectives
In this unit, you should be able to:
● distinguish claims of fact, value, and policy in a written text;
● write and defend claims of fact, value, and policy; and
● identify explicit and implicit claims in a text.

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 Lesson 1: Claim of Fact

There are instances when we need to explain facts about

particular issues and situations. These explanations show
conditions that exist or will exist based on present data. In this
lesson, we will cover the ways of identifying claims of fact and
when to use them during an intelligent argument.

Warm-up!
Writing Activity

Explain the quotation below:

Then, share your output with your seatmate.

Learn about It!

A claim is a statement that an author discusses, explains, or

proves in his writing. In persuasive or argumentative writing, the
central claim made is called the thesis, which determines and
limits the scope of the topic.

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Take a look at the following examples:

A B

Good education is one of the The Philippine government should implement a program that
keys to success. would enable all children belonging to families in the poverty
level to finish their high school education.

It is not advisable for children Children who are younger than two years should not be
to watch too much television. allowed to watch television, while those who are two years to
12 years old should only watch educational television programs
for one to two hours each day.

The claims in column A are either broad or vague, while the ones in column B are specific and
clearly debatable.

A claim of fact is a type of claim that affirms or asserts that a statement is true or untrue. It
argues that the statement is indeed a fact, or it defines a particular term.

Cyberbullying has profound effects on young children.

“Gaining friends” online is not the same as gaining friends in person.
People are becoming more dependent on technology.

A claim of fact often takes an objective position. Take a look at the following text.

People in general are becoming more dependent on technology. In the Philippines alone, for
instance, there were 114.6 million mobile subscriptions and 44.2 million active Internet users
according to the global Web statistics released by a global agency called We Are Social
Singapore. Since January 2014, the number of active internet users has grown 18 percent, while
the number of mobile subscriptions has grown 7 percent.

The first sentence states a claim of fact. The writer supports the claim with statistics.

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In persuasive or argumentative writing, a writer defends the thesis or central claim in order
to make it convincing. Below are some steps you may follow to defend a claim of fact:

1. State your claim clearly.

2. Provide a brief explanation or definition for words that may be unfamiliar to some
readers.
3. Cite recent, accurate, and sufficient evidence. It should come from reliable sources
or experts.
4. Organize the evidence in a logical way. The arrangement of evidence highlights the
most important points.
5. To conclude your writing, reiterate the thesis.

Check Your Understanding

Check (✔) the following claims that exemplify a claim of fact. Put a cross (✘) mark if
not.

1. Neil Armstrong was the first person to step foot on the moon.
2. Schools should adopt a recycling program.
3. The East is more value-oriented than the West.
4. Converting to solar energy can save homeowners money.
5. Obesity causes health problems.

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Let’s Step Up!

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 Lesson 2: Claim of Value

There are times when you are faced with arguments that need
to be proven as good or bad based on your morals or values.
Your arguments need to be based on the teachings that you
believe are ethical or moral.

This lesson will teach you how to identify claims of value and
how to construct a good one in order to make a good and intelligent argument.

Warm-up!
Think-Pair-Share

With a partner, discuss your answer to the following questions:

1. How do we make judgments in our everyday life?

2. What have been the basis of the judgments we make?
3. Do we think our judgments are always logically acceptable?

Learn about It!

A claim of value is a type of claim that evaluates, appraises, or

judges an idea.

● It is important that children learn how to use social media

responsibly.
● Learning another language other than English is necessary in
the 21st century.

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● Spending time with your family is better than spending time alone.

A claim of value is subjective. In writing, the author can tell whether the idea is important or
relevant based on some criteria or standards, which may be influenced by the author’s
religious, cultural, and social values. Also, he or she can express approval or disapproval of the
idea; he or she can state whether the idea is good or bad, right or wrong, ethical or unethical,
or just or unjust.

Take a look at this example:

It is very important that children learn how to use social media responsibly. One reason is
that social media poses danger to their security. Experts say that 75 percent of teens have
profiles on a social networking site. Such profiles mostly contain their photos, real names,
birthdates, interests, and even their town and school. Online advertisers and predators can easily
take the children’s information and use it for illegal activities.

Beginning with the phrase “It is very important . . .,” the first sentence states a claim of value:
the idea of children learning how to use social media responsibly is of utmost importance to
the writer. He or she then cites a reason and explains it.

You can defend a claim of value by doing the following:

1. Clearly state the principle or value you are promoting. You can say that it rates higher
on a scale of values than any other principle or value.
2. Present the good results or effects of adhering to the principle in contrast with other
principles.
3. Present real-life examples to give readers a concrete idea of how the values work in
particular situations.
4. Include relevant statistics as well as the testimonies and points of view of highly
regarded individuals or experts who share the same value or principle as you do.

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 Check Your Understanding

Check (✔) the statements that exemplify a claim of value.

_______ 1. Gay marriage is immoral.

_______ 2. Opera is not as entertaining as musical comedy.
_______ 3. Global warming is the most pressing challenge the world is facing today.
_______ 4. Stress causes health problems.
_______ 5. Technology should be used in all office transactions.

Let’s Step Up!

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 Lesson 3: Claim of Policy

A problem needs possible solutions. There are times when you

will be faced with issues that require a number of actions to
solve it. In this lesson, you will discover how claims of policy
can be incorporated in discussions about issues that need
solutions.

Warm-up!
Think-Pair-Share

Read the following situation and answer the table. Afterward, share and discuss your work
with a partner.

If you were the president of your school’s student council, what changes in the rules and regulations
would you suggest?

Present Rules and Changes you want to Reason for the changes
Regulations happen

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 Learn about It!

A claim of policy is a statement proposing an action that

should be undertaken as a solution to a particular problem.
This claim makes use of words such as should, ought to, and
must.

● Smoking must be banned in all public places.

● In general, women should be given equal job opportunities as
men.
● There should be a course for students who would like to learn
Ilocano, Cebuano, or any other Philippine language.

A claim of policy may argue against an already established policy or solution. In writing,
the author aims to convince readers that the proposed solution would indeed solve the given
problem and that it is better than the current or any other proposed course of action.

Learning a foreign language remains a requirement in most colleges; students must take a
certain number of units to fulfill such a requirement. However, after graduation, most of them
will work in the country and never get the chance to use the foreign language in the workplace.
For them, there should be an alternative course, that is, a course teaching a widely spoken
local dialect like Ilocano or Cebuano. Learning a local language not only increases their chance
of finding work in the major cities in the country but also allows them to connect with other
Filipinos who speak a different language.

In the text above, the writer proposes a new language course for those students who will
remain in the country to work. He or she says that it is an alternative to the foreign language
course.

Follow the guidelines below in defending a claim of policy.

1. State your proposal clearly. If you are to argue that a current policy or any other
solution is not effective, state your proposal in contrast with that policy or solution.
2. State the arguments for your proposed solution. Express why it is the best action to

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 take. If you are to compare your proposal with a current policy or any other solution,
highlight the positive effects of your proposal. You can downplay its flaws by comparing
those flaws with those of the current policy or other solutions.
3. Support your claim with enough evidence. This evidence should show that the
solution is going to be a success and that it is attainable.

Check Your Understanding

Check (✔) which of the following exemplifies a claim of policy.

1. Death is inevitable.
2. Bringing electronic gadgets like laptops and tablets should be banned in schools.
3. You should support restrictions in abortion.
4. Same-sex marriage is immoral.
5. People living in polluted areas should start minimizing their waste.

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Let’s Step Up!

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 Lesson 4: Identifying Claims Explicitly and
Implicitly Made in a Written Text

In a meaningful reading engagement, getting into the message

of the text by verifying issues, affirming one’s values, or even
standing by a decision is highly necessary. The author usually
challenges the reader to elicit reactions as the circumstances
in the text become alive. It is in this context that the reader
becomes conscious and has a fruitful reading experience.

Warm-up!
Quick Writes

Look at the cartoon below. Analyze the image and interpret its message.

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 Learn about It!

Identifying claims in a given text is important in critical reading.

It involves a deeper examination of the ideas presented in the
text. Knowing the central claim or thesis as well as the other
claims made in a text, a reader then understands the writer’s
purpose and follows his or her arguments with ease.

Claims are often explicitly or directly stated in the text. They

are explained and justified using evidence.

Below is an excerpt from the article “Cutting the Corporate

Cord: How the Desk Phone Is Meeting Its Demise” by NewsUSA.
Notice the claim made explicitly right in the beginning of the
text and the evidence that follows to support it.

Cutting the Corporate Cord: How the Desk Phone Is Meeting Its Demise (excerpt)
By NewsUSA

It was bound to happen sooner or later: the desk phone, once an icon in any office, is now
officially on its deathbed.

According to a recent survey by Dialpad, a San Francisco-based communications technology

company, the trend of telecommuting and employees who would rather work anywhere but the
office, is rendering the desk phone all but obsolete.

Our survey reveals that while the slow and painful death of the desk phone has clearly begun, it
cannot happen fast enough for many workers,” Craig Walker, CEO of Dialpad, told VoIP
Monitoring in an interview earlier this summer. “The anywhere worker movement is now evident
in every segment of every industry. This significant trend will only accelerate over the next few
years.”

Claims can be implicit, too; they are only implied in a text. Such claims are often made in
narrative or descriptive texts. Take a look at the following examples:

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In 2016, the local government of Batangas launched five new projects, organized three seminars,
and provided job opportunities for young people in the community. Also, political authorities
recognized the achievements of the youth and granted rewards to young people who had a
significant impact on society and on other youth.

In the text above, it is only implied that the local government of Batangas is empowering
young people and that their welfare is the local government’s priority.

Oliver Twist
Chapter 21 (excerpt)
Charles Dickens

It was market-morning. The ground was covered nearly ankle-deep with filth and mire; and a
thick steam perpetually rising from the reeking bodies of the cattle, and mingling with the fog,
which seemed to rest upon the chimney-tops, hung heavily above. All the pens in the centre of the
large area, and as many temporary ones as could be crowded into the vacant space, were filled
with sheep; and tied up to posts by the gutter side were long lines of beasts and oxen three or
four deep. Countrymen, butchers, drovers, hawkers, boys, thieves, idlers, and vagabonds of every
low grade, were mingled together in a dense mass; the whistling of drovers, the barking of dogs,
the bellowing and plunging of beasts, the bleating of sheep, and grunting and squeaking of pigs;
the cries of hawkers, the shouts, oaths, and quarrelling on all sides; the ringing of bells and roar
of voices that issued from every public-house; the crowding, pushing, driving, beating, whooping,
and yelling; the hideous and discordant din that resounded from every corner of the market; and
the unwashed, unshaven, squalid, and dirty figures constantly running to and fro, and bursting in
and out of the throng, rendered it a stunning and bewildering scene, which quite confounded the
senses.

The text above is an excerpt from Chapter 21 of the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.
Through description, Dickens presents 19th century London. As implied in the text, London
was a very harsh and unpleasant city back then.

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 Check Your Understanding

Read the passage below. Identify what dominant claim is found in the argument. Justify your
answer.

Newly minted college students may think they are invincible, but approximately four million
young adults arrive in emergency rooms each year because of car accidents, sexual assaults,
medical illness, accidental injuries, alcohol poisonings, and drug overdoses, according to data
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Especially in today's era of heightened security concerns, parents are eager for ways to ensure
college students’ safety, and the Umergency app can help.

Let’s Step Up!

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 Performance Task
Junior Editor

Goal
Your task is to write an editorial about one area of concern in society (education, health,
engineering, business, etc). Incorporate corresponding claims of fact, value, or policy
accordingly.

Role
You are the editor-in-chief of one of the largest news printing company in your local. Your task
is to beat the deadline and make sure that you have an editorial in your newspaper for
tomorrow.

Audience
This editorial column will reach avid readers within the city who are subscribed to your
newspaper.

Situation
You have read about recent studies on concerns about your chosen issue and would like to
share your opinion about it in the newspaper’s editorial column for the next day.

Product
You are expected to produce an editorial that focuses on any of the pressing issues in society.
1. Choose a topic that you have an interest in and have a particular stand or position. This
can be about health, education, current events, etc.)
2. Research about your chosen topic and gather as much material as you can that will
help you support your claim.
3. Write an editorial of at least 400 words based on the issue you chose. You may use as
many kinds of claim as you can as long as they are appropriate for the topic.
4. Drawing an editorial cartoon is optional.
5. Submit your work on a short bond paper, and use Calibri font size 12.

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Standards and Criteria for Success
Your project will be graded using the rubric below:
Criteria Beginning Developing Accomplished Score
(0-12 points) (13-16 points) (17-20 points)

Content The editorial The editorial The editorial

seldom focuses adequately effectively and
on a clearly focuses on a consistently
identified topic. clearly identified focuses on a
topic. clearly
identified topic.

Organization The editorial The editorial has The editorial

shows little to no adequate idea has skillful and
idea progression; progression and logical
it has incorrect or transitions that progression
no transitions suggest with purposeful
between ideas. relationship transitions that
between ideas. clarify
relationship
between ideas.

Language The editorial has The editorial has The editorial is

(spelling, mechanics, pervasive some language generally free
grammar, and word language errors. errors. of most
usage) language
errors.

Punctuality The editorial was The editorial was The editorial

submitted more submitted a day was submitted
than one day after the on or before
after the deadline. the deadline.
deadline.

Construction of A claim is missing The editorial The editorial

Claims or the clearly introduces powerfully
(introduces a claim is difficult a claim and introduces a
clear, arguable claim to provides claim and
that can be understand background provides
supported and/or provides information background
by reasons and background relevant to the information

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evidence) information that issue. The text that explains
is limited or introduces a the issue well.
unrelated to the precise claim that The text
issue. The text is clearly arguable introduces a
contains an and takes an compelling
unidentifiable identifiable claim that is
claim or vague position on an clearly arguable
position. issue. and takes a
purposeful
position on an
issue. The text
has a structure
and
organization
that is
carefully crafted
to support the
claim.

Development, The text contains The student The student

reasons limited data supports the supports the
and evidence thesis claim with
related to the statement with multiple clear
claim and multiple clear and and relevant
counterclaims or relevant examples from
lacks examples from credible
counterclaims. credible sources sources using
The text using quotes and quotes and
may fail to citations. citations.
conclude the Evidence Evidence
argument or acknowledges acknowledges
position. and refutes the and refutes
alternate or alternate or
opposing opposing points
points of view. of view using
quotes and
citations.

Score:

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 Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn?
Do a self-check on how well you learned the lessons in this unit. Place a checkmark in the
appropriate box.
I am familiar and
I think I need more I am confident that I
can perform well
Skills practice and can perform this on
with minimal
assistance my own
assistance
I can distinguish
claims of fact, value,
and policy in a
written text.
I can write and
defend claims of
fact, value, and
policy.
I can identify explicit
and implicit claims
in a text.

Wrap Up
A. How to Defend a Claim of Fact
1. State your claim clearly.
2. Provide a brief explanation or definition for words that may be unfamiliar to
some readers.
3. Cite recent, accurate, and sufficient evidence.
4. Organize the evidence in a logical way.
5. Reiterate the claim or thesis at the end.
B. How to Defend a Claim of Value
1. Clearly state the principle or value you are promoting.
2. Present the good results or effects of adhering to the principle in contrast with
other principles.

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 3. Present real-life examples to give readers a concrete idea of how the values work
in particular situations.
4. Include the testimonies and points of view of highly regarded individuals or
experts who share the same value or principle as you do.
C. How to Defend a Claim of Policy
1. State your proposal clearly.
2. State the arguments for your proposed solution.
3. Support your claim with enough evidence.

TYPES OF CLAIMS

FACT VALUE POLICY

This claim affirms or asserts
that a statement is true or
untrue. It argues that the
statement is indeed a fact, or
it defines a particular term.
This claim evaluates, This claim proposes an
appraises, or judges an idea. action that should be
undertaken as a solution to a
particular problem. It makes
use of words such as should,
ought to, and must.

This claim often takes an This claim is subjective. In
objective position. writing, the author can tell
whether the idea is
important or relevant based
on some criteria or
standards. Also, he or she
can express approval or
disapproval of the idea.
This claim may argue against
an already established policy
or solution. In writing, the
author aims to convince
readers that the proposed
solution would indeed solve
the given problem and that it
is better than the current or
any other proposed course
of action.

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 Bibliography

“Argument Essay.” Duke University. 2016. Accessed October 8, 2018.

https://twp.duke.edu/uploads/media_items/argument-essay.original.pdf.

n.d. "Cutting the Corporate Cord: How the Desk Phone Is Meeting Its Demise." NewsUSA.
Accessed October 8, 2018.
http://www.newsusa.com/articles/article/cutting-the-corporate-cord-how-the-desk-pho
ne-is-meeting-its-demise.aspx.

Dickens, Charles. 1839. "Oliver Twist." Gutenberg. Accessed October 8, 2018.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/47530/47530-h/47530-h.htm.

Igna, Henr Joshua. 2015. “Internet, Social Media and Mobile Use of Filipinos in 2015.”
Accessed October 9, 2018. https://telehealth.ph/2015/03/26/internet-social-media-
and- mobile-use-of-filipinos-in-2015/.

“Claims of Fact, Value, and Policy: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Informal Argumentation.”

New York University. 2016. Accessed October 9, 2018. http://www.nyu.edu/classes/
keefer/nature/WW2claims.pdf.

“Identifying Implicit Reasons/Warrants/Assumptions.” University of Idaho. 2016. Accessed

October 9, 2018. http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/eng207-td/Formal Argument
Analysis.htm.

n.d. "Safety App Empowers Students, Offers Peace of Mind for Parents." NewsUSA. Accessed
October 8, 2018.
http://www.newsusa.com/articles/article/safety-app-empowers-students-offers-peace-o
f-mind-for-parents.aspx.

Weida, Stacy, and Karl Stolley. 2013. “Developing Strong Thesis Statements.” Purdue Online
Writing Lab. Accessed October 9, 2018. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
resource/588/01/.

Recommended Link for This Unit:

McGaan, Lee. 2008. “Types of Claims.” Accessed October 8, 2018. http://department.

monm.edu/cata/mcgaan/classes/cata335/o-claims.335.html.

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