Claim Detectives
This is the specific subject a reader should jot after reading the title, blurb, and first paragraphs of an informational text.
What is the topic?
When reading narrative text for theme, students are told to track four big clues: conflict and resolution, characterization, changes, and this.
What is craft?
Unlike mood, which is the feeling a text creates in the reader, this is the author's or speaker's attitude toward the topic.
What is tone?
The three classical rhetorical appeals are pathos, ethos, and this.
What is logos?
In MR. CUF, the R reminds readers to notice this because authors repeat it to draw attention to an idea.
What is repeated language, images, or ideas?
Words like however, despite, and although are worth circling because they often signal this kind of move in a text.
What is a claim shift or shift in thinking?
A theme must be written as this kind of statement, not as a one word topic like 'friendship' or 'freedom.'
What is a full sentence claim about the world, humanity or society?
If an author describes a policy as 'reckless' instead of 'unwise,' readers should notice the loaded emotional force of the word. In handbook language, that is this.
What is charged connotation or charged diction?
An author briefly explains the strongest opposing view before knocking it down. In the rubric, this move shows balance through a concession and this.
What is refutation?
In NEZZ, the step where you unpack the connotation of a key word or image is this one.
What is Zoom In?
A student writes, 'Recycling helps cities save money and reduce waste.' In claim language, 'recycling' is this, while the rest of the sentence is the author's this.
What are the topic and the claim?
In SLATE characterization, the letter E stands for this, asking how a character is perceived by and influences others.
What is Effect on others?
A narrator who calls a plan 'adorably disastrous' is probably not objective or solemn, but this.
What is ironic or sarcastic?
If a writer relies only on one personal story and no broader credible support, the evidence is weak because it is not this and this.
What are reliable and sufficient?
A paragraph's final move should answer the 'so what' by reaffirming the argument. NEZZ calls that closing move this.
A paragraph's final move should answer the 'so what' by reaffirming the argument. NEZZ calls that closing move this.
An article begins with a personal story and delays the main point for a few paragraphs. In journalism, this opening move is called this.
What is a delayed lede?
A story shows a proud hero becoming humble after failure. Of the 4 C's, that shift most directly fits this category.
What are changes?
A passage about death can still sound thankful or shocked. This handbook reminder means readers must not confuse the subject with this.
What is tone?
A speaker says, 'Either we ban homework forever or students will hate learning forever.' That flawed reasoning is this fallacy.
What is a false dilemma?
The phrase 'Joe chuckled darkly' is a classic MR. CUF example because the language is surprising and friction filled. That lands in this letter category.
What is U for Unexpected language, images, or ideas?
In a strong end note for an informational text, readers should not just repeat details. They should do this to the key sub claims into one precise central idea.
What is synthesize them into the author's overall claim?
A reader writes, 'The theme is loss' but their teacher says to revise it using handbook guidance: a theme should pair a universal topic with this second piece.
What is a claim or message about that topic?
The handbook organizes tone along six dimensions. One axis runs from approving and optimistic to this most hostile extreme.
What is angry and aggressive?
A strong argumentative text is not just persuasive. According to the handbook, it uses systematic, balanced this to support an idea, action, or theory.
What is reasoning?
When a writer uses a chunked quote to embed only the most important phrase in a sentence, the goal is often to analyze this with precision.
What is specific diction or a key phrase from the evidence?