Identifying Explicit and Implicit Claims in Texts PDF

LESSON 5 - IDENTIFYING EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT CLAIM IN A TEXT EXPLICIT vs IMPLICIT EXPLICIT – obvious and apparent; directly stated. IMPLICIT – not expressed clearly; only suggested; indirectly stated EXPLICIT All living things are made up of cells. Since humans are alive, we are also made of cells...

LESSON 5 - IDENTIFYING EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT CLAIM IN A TEXT EXPLICIT vs IMPLICIT EXPLICIT – obvious and apparent; directly stated. IMPLICIT – not expressed clearly; only suggested; indirectly stated EXPLICIT All living things are made up of cells. Since humans are alive, we are also made of cells. Cells make our body tissue. Tissue makes our body organs. Organs make our body systems. Cells are the building blocks of our bodies. 1. What are made of cells? 2. What is the main idea of the article? IMPLY vs INFER IMPLY – speaker / writer’s way of suggesting an idea in an indirect way rather than making an explicit statement. You are left to draw your own conclusions from what has been said or hinted. INFER – reaching a conclusion or deciding that something is true on the basis of the evidence available. If a person reads the writer’s words, he or she come to a conclusion about what is meant even though the writer has not stated this explicitly. IMPLY All living things are made up of cells. Since humans are alive, we are also made of cells. Cells make our body tissue. Tissue makes our body organs. Organs make our body systems. Cells are the building blocks of our bodies. 1. How do you know birds are made of cells? INFER That summer, the fence that stretch through our town seemed bigger. We lived in a yellow house on one side of it. White people lived on the other. And Mama said, “Don’t climb over that fence when you play.” She said it wasn’t safe. 1. What can you infer from the text? INFER “It’s hard to live in a small studio apartment with a man who is learning how to play the violin.” That’s what she told the police as she handed them the broken bat. 1. What do you think has happened? 2. Why did it happen? 3. How does the story end? 1. He implied that the General had been a traitor. [presented from the writer’s or speaker’s perspective] 2. I inferred from his words that the General had been a traitor. [presented from the listener’s or reader’s perspective] In #1, the writer does not actually claim that the General had betrayed his country, but his words or even his tone have suggested that this is the case. In #2, whatever was said about the General has enabled the reader to deduce that he was in fact a traitor (without the writer having risked a charge of libel or slander) CLAIM is an arguable statement – an idea that a speaker or writer asks an audience to accept. A claim is an opinion, idea, or assertion. “I think we should have universal health care.” “I believe that the government is corrupt.” “We need a revolution.”  In strategic discourse, a claim is a statement we make to an audience with an anticipation that they should agree with it. It is a statement. A claim is discourse. It involves a speaker’s awareness of an audience. The very idea of a claim involves a wish about an audience. It deals with a search for agreement. It involves anticipation. To anticipate the audience’s agreement means we look hopefully to it, but we are anxious that they may not give it. A claim thus forwards a statement that we worry the audience will not agree to, but wish them to agree to. TYPES OF CLAIMS A. CLAIM OF FACT A claim asserts some empirical truth. Can be determined by careful observation of past, present, or future. The truth of the assertion will be determined by events. But the speaker will offer information or explanation that predicts and characterizes the events.  Claims of fact are those we think about rightly as being true or false. Argument usually turns on strength of evidence presented as reason for arguer’s belief in the claim. Examples: 1. Research studies are conducted to improve human condition. 2. Climate change has already become an issue in the country. 3. Success of teaching depends upon the creativity of the teacher. B. CLAIM OF JUDGMENT or VALUE A claim asserts a judgment of some sort. Look for key words that are a matter of judgment rather than fact: good, well, kind, useful, desirable, etc. Speakers/Writers provide the reasoning for their judgment; it is the assent to the reasons rather than comparison to the fact that determines the agreement to the claim.  A claim is based on things we like or dislike. Thus, it deals with goals, with things we find attractive. Your feel for the argument by judgment or value has to be different than that of fact. Disagreements over values turn on what is important to us and how the things that are important to use come to bear on a situation. Argument usually turns on whether the underlying value of the claim is accepted as a public good. Examples: 1. Musical comedy is the best form of entertainment. 2. Staying with the family with a limited income is more valuable than being away earning a lot. 3. Communication is better than computation. C. CLAIM OF ACTION or POLICY A claim asserts than an action should be taken. Look for key words “should” or “ought.” These words may not always be present, but if they are, actions are usually called for. Decisions about whether we should take an action or not are the most complex of arguments. Argument usually turns on whether the reasons for taking the action outweigh the possible costs of taking the action. Examples: 1. Fetal tissue should be banned in any research undertaking. 2. The government should continue to offer scholarship programs especially to the poor but bright students. 3. Gender equality needs to be strengthened in the academe. Guide Questions for Critical Reading 1. What is the writer’s perspective? 2. What relevant information is excluded from the text? 3. Do you agree with the writer? 4. Is the writer objective and accurate? 5. How would you describe the tone of the writer? 6. Does the text challenge your own values and beliefs? 7. Does the text contain fallacies? What are those? 8. Are there assumptions made by the writer? 9. Does the writer oversimplify complex ideas? 10. Does the writer use reasonable generalizations and inferences?