A Quick Guide to Claim/Data/Warrant

Claim/Data/Warrant is a format for writing an argument

When making an intelligent argument, you have to: (1) make your point (2) support your point with facts (3) explain how the facts prove your point.

(1) Claim

(2) Data (with a transition)

(3) Warrant

The 1st sentence of a paragraph

Includes the title of the piece and the author

Clear and provable opinion; usually a response to a question or prompt from the teacher

Prompt: How might Santiago’s sheep symbolize the way some people live their lives?

(a) Santiago notices how his sheep are only concerned with food and water and how they rely heavily on him. The sheep could symbolize people who give up on their dreams.

(b) Santiago’s sheep symbolize people who give up on their dreams because they only concern themselves with food and water and rely too much on Santiago.

(c) In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago’s sheep symbolize people who do not follow their dreams and rely on others to support them throughout their lives.

Prompt: How might Santiago’s sheep symbolize the way some people live their lives?

(a) Santiago notices how his sheep are only concerned with food and water and how they rely heavily on him. The sheep could symbolize people who give up on their dreams.

(b) Santiago’s sheep symbolize people who give up on their dreams because they only concern themselves with food and water and rely too much on Santiago.

(c) In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago’s sheep symbolize people who do not follow their dreams and rely on others to support them throughout their lives.

Evidence from the text that proves/supports the claim

Quotations should be properly documented (MLA citations – rules will come later!)

A paragraph should contain 2 pieces of data – no one believes an argument based on one fact!

Claim: In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago’s sheep symbolize people who do not follow their dreams and rely on others to support them throughout their lives.

(a) “The only things that concerned the sheep were food and water” (7).

(b) “They trust me, and they’ve forgotten how to rely on their own instincts, because I lead them to nourishment” (7).

(c) “They were content with just food and water, and, in exchange, they generously gave of their wool, their company, and – once in awhile – their meat” (7).

Claim: In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago’s sheep symbolize people who do not follow their dreams and rely on others to support them throughout their lives.

(a) “The only things that concerned the sheep were food and water” (7).

(b) “They trust me, and they’ve forgotten how to rely on their own instincts, because I lead them to nourishment” (7).

(c) “They were content with just food and water, and, in exchange, they generously gave of their wool, their company, and – once in awhile – their meat” (7).

A sentence or partial sentence that sets the context of the data

Answers questions like who, what, where, when (not necessarily all of them)

MLA rules about transitions will be visited later!

Data: “They trust me, and they’ve forgotten how to rely on their own instincts, because I lead them to nourishment” (7).

(a) After watching the behavior of his sheep, Santiago comments,

(b) Santiago feels his sheep trust him and do not take care of themselves any longer.

(c) Santiago’s sheep do not search for a more meaningful life, which symbolizes people who do the exact same thing.

Data: “They trust me, and they’ve forgotten how to rely on their own instincts, because I lead them to nourishment” (7).

(a) After watching the behavior of his sheep, Santiago comments,

(b) Santiago feels his sheep trust him and do not take care of themselves any longer.

(c) Santiago’s sheep do not search for a more meaningful life, which symbolizes people who do the exact same thing.

The most important and significant part of the argument

States how and why the data proves the claim

Interpretation and analysis of the data

In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Santiago’s sheep symbolize people who do not follow their dreams and rely on others to support them throughout their lives. After watching the behavior of his sheep, Santiago comments, “They trust me, and they’ve forgotten how to rely on their own instincts, because I lead them to nourishment” (7).

With a partner, write a warrant that would explain how and why the data supports the claim.

What does a completed CDW paragraph look like?

Claim Transition into Data Warrant Transition into Data Warrant Concluding sentence