What’s part of CER?
Dogs are better pets than cats
What is a claim?
“I believe school should start later.” → What’s the indicator word?
“I believe”
“Chocolate ice cream is the best flavor.”
Weak — it’s just an opinion.
“Taylor Swift’s re-recordings prove artists can control their own work.” → What’s the claim?
“Artists can control their own work.”
“Drake is the best rapper because I listen to him every day.”
What's wrong with the reasoning?
Flawed reasoning — personal habit ≠ logical proof.
A recent survey found that 65% of pet owners prefer dogs
What is evidence?
"According to research, teens need 8–10 hours of sleep.” → What’s the indicator phrase?
"According to research."
“Chocolate ice cream outsold all other flavors by 20% last year.”
Strong — it uses a statistic.
“In his last five matches, Messi scored or assisted in each one.” → Claim, evidence, or reasoning?
Evidence
“The school cafeteria food is bad. Everyone hates it.”
What's wrong with the evidence?
Weak evidence — vague and lacks data.
This shows dogs are preferred because they’re more loyal and active companions.
What is reasoning?
“This proves that later start times improve student performance.” → Indicator?
“This proves that”
“I saw one kid buy chocolate ice cream once, so everyone likes it.”
Weak — anecdotal, not representative.
Over 75% of students surveyed shared that tests gave them anxiety.
What two kinds of evidnece is they?
1) Survey
2) Statistical
“The Yankees are the best team because they have a nice stadium.”
What's wrong with the reasoning?
Weak reasoning — stadium quality doesn’t prove team skill.
Thousands of athletes eat pasta the night before a game.
What is evidence?
"Thus, we should adopt the councilman's plan." Indicator?
“Thus"
“A study by the FDA found caffeine increases alertness.”
Strong — credible source and data.
Streaming data shows Charli XCX’s new album has outperformed her last three releases, proving she’s growing in popularity.” → What connects the claim to the evidence?
Reasoning
“People should stop eating meat because my neighbor went vegan.”
What's wrong with the evidence?
Weak evidence — anecdotal, not representative.
Because carbohydrates provide energy, eating pasta helps athletes perform better
What is reasoning?
“Therefore, starting later helps students learn better.”
“Therefore”
“Since the FDA found caffeine increases alertness, students who drink coffee before exams may score higher.”
Strong — links evidence to reasoning clearly.
“The 6 train is the best in NYC because it runs the most consistently and connects to major lines.” → Identify claim, evidence, and reasoning.
Claim: “6 train is the best.”
Evidence: “Runs most consistently, connects to major lines.”
Reasoning: “Efficiency = best.”
“We shouldn’t ban phones in class because they’re fun to use.”
Weak reasoning — doesn’t address educational impact or logic.