CEW

Claim, Evidence, Warrant

Claim: the opinion or argument you are trying to prove in your essay

Must be an OPINION, not a FACT

Must be SPECIFIC

Must be about the TEXT

Claim:

Must be an OPINION, not a FACT

Bad: Wes is the sheriff of Mercer County.

Good: Wes tries to be a good sheriff, but fails.

Claim:

Must be SPECIFIC

Bad: Wes does some things that are bad.

Eh: Wes is a bad husband. Good: Wes is a bad husband because

he is loyal to his father at the expense of his own family.

Claim:

Notice: it’s still ALL an opinion! Bad: Wes is a bad husband because he

becomes sheriff even though Gail doesn’t want him to. *this is just a fact

Good: Wes is a bad husband because he is loyal to his father at the expense of his own family. *this is an opinion

Be careful that the 2nd half of your “because” claim is still an opinion!

Claim:

Must be about the TEXT

Bad: I think Wes and Gail should have told David what was going on. *evidence would have to be from your own moral code and opinions about raising children

Good: Although Wes and Gail were only trying to protect David by keeping Frank’s activities a secret, it was actually their secretiveness that traumatized David so deeply. *evidence would be from the book

Evidence: text you take word-for-word out of the book to support your Claim.

Must be SPECIFIC

Must include a PAGE NUMBER

Must help SUPPORT the CLAIM

Evidence:

Must be SPECIFIC

Bad: …such as what happened on page 49

Good: For example, on page 49, Wes states “Blah blah blah blah” (49).

Evidence:

Must include a PAGE NUMBER

Bad: Wes states, “Blah blah blah.” Good: Wes states, “Blah blah blah”

(49).

Evidence:

Must help SUPPORT the CLAIM (Claim =Wes is a bad husband because he is loyal to his father at the expense of his own family.) Bad: For example, Wes never wears his

badge. Good: For example, Wes becomes a

sheriff at the insistence of his father, even though it is not the best thing for his family.

Warrant: your explanation of HOW and WHY the evidence supports the claim.

Must explain all the connections in your head. Pretend you are explaining to someone who

has never read the book. Key to a good warrant: Re-use key phrases

from the claim and evidence.

Warrant:

Example Claim: Wes is a bad husband because

he is loyal to his father at the expense of his own family.

Warrant:

Example Evidence: “So my father set aside his fledgling law

practice and took the badge my grandfather offered” (21).

“My mother fervently believed my father, indeed all of us, would be happier if he practiced law, and if we did not live in Montana” (19).

Warrant: how to put it together

Wes Hayden is a bad husband because he is loyal to his father at the expense of his own family. Wes was originally a lawyer. However, when his father asked, he “set aside his fledgling law practice” (21) and agreed to become sheriff. His loyalty to his father came before his own dreams. This wasn’t necessarily what was best for his own family though. Gail Hayden believed her family “would be happier if [Wes] practiced law, and if [they] did not live in Montana” (19). By doing what his father asked, Wes was ignoring the wishes of his family, and jeopardizing their happiness. His loyalty to Julian came at the expense of his own family.

What to notice: Claim

Wes Hayden is a bad husband because he is loyal to his father at the expense of his own family. Wes was originally a lawyer. However, when his father asked, he “set aside his fledgling law practice” (21) and agreed to become sheriff. His loyalty to his father came before his own dreams. This wasn’t necessarily what was best for his own family though. Gail Hayden believed her family “would be happier if [Wes] practiced law, and if [they] did not live in Montana” (19). By doing what his father asked, Wes was ignoring the wishes of his family, and jeopardizing their happiness. His loyalty to Julian came at the expense of his own family.

What to notice: Evidence

Wes Hayden is a bad husband because he is loyal to his father at the expense of his own family. Wes was originally a lawyer. However, when his father asked, he “set aside his fledgling law practice” (21) and agreed to become sheriff. His loyalty to his father came before his own dreams. This wasn’t necessarily what was best for his own family though. Gail Hayden believed her family “would be happier if [Wes] practiced law, and if [they] did not live in Montana” (19). By doing what his father asked, Wes was ignoring the wishes of his family, and jeopardizing their happiness. His loyalty to Julian came at the expense of his own family.

What to notice: Warrant

Wes Hayden is a bad husband because he is loyal to his father at the expense of his own family. Wes was originally a lawyer. However, when his father asked, he “set aside his fledgling law practice” (21) and agreed to become sheriff. His loyalty to his father came before his own dreams. This wasn’t necessarily what was best for his own family though. Gail Hayden believed her family “would be happier if [Wes] practiced law, and if [they] did not live in Montana” (19). By doing what his father asked, Wes was ignoring the wishes of his family, and jeopardizing their happiness. His loyalty to Julian came at the expense of his own family.

What to notice: key words/phrases repeated from the claim. They’re not exact, but they’re pretty close.

Wes Hayden is a bad husband because he is loyal to his father at the expense of his own family. Wes was originally a lawyer. However, when his father asked, he “set aside his fledgling law practice” (21) and agreed to become sheriff. His loyalty to his father came before his own dreams. This wasn’t necessarily what was best for his own family though. Gail Hayden believed her family “would be happier if [Wes] practiced law, and if [they] did not live in Montana” (19). By doing what his father asked, Wes was ignoring the wishes of his family, and jeopardizing their happiness. His loyalty to Julian came at the expense of his own family.

What to notice: All together

Wes Hayden is a bad husband because he is loyal to his father at the expense of his own family. Wes was originally a lawyer. However, when his father asked, he “set aside his fledgling law practice” (21) and agreed to become sheriff. His loyalty to his father came before his own dreams. This wasn’t necessarily what was best for his own family though. Gail Hayden believed her family “would be happier if [Wes] practiced law, and if [they] did not live in Montana” (19). By doing what his father asked, Wes was ignoring the wishes of his family, and jeopardizing their happiness. His loyalty to Julian came at the expense of his own family.

Uh oh! What’s the part still in black? Transitions!

Wes Hayden is a bad husband because he is loyal to his father at the expense of his own family. Wes was originally a lawyer. However, when his father asked, he “set aside his fledgling law practice” (21) and agreed to become sheriff. His loyalty to his father came before his own dreams. This wasn’t necessarily what was best for his own family though. Gail Hayden believed her family “would be happier if [Wes] practiced law, and if [they] did not live in Montana” (19). By doing what his father asked, Wes was ignoring the wishes of his family, and jeopardizing their happiness. His loyalty to Julian came at the expense of his own family.

More to notice: using brackets

Original text word-for-word from the book: “My mother fervently believed my father,

indeed all of us, would be happier if he practiced law, and if we did not live in Montana” (19).

Text I used in the essay: Gail Hayden believed her family “would be

happier if [Wes] practiced law, and if [they] did not live in Montana” (19).

More to notice: using brackets

Original text word-for-word from the book: “My mother fervently believed my father,

indeed all of us, would be happier if he practiced law, and if we did not live in Montana” (19).

Text I used in the essay: Gail Hayden believed her family “would be

happier if [Wes] practiced law, and if [they] did not live in Montana” (19).

Quiz Review:

Claim Must be an OPINION, not a FACT Must be SPECIFIC Must be about the TEXT

Evidence Must be SPECIFIC Must include a PAGE NUMBER Must help SUPPORT the CLAIM

Warrant Explain HOW and WHY the evidence supports the claim Key to a good warrant: reuse key phrases from the claim

and evidence

Now you try: get together with a partner, and write a CEW. You may write the C and E in outline form to

organize your thoughts, but once you get to the warrant, you must put it all together in a PARAGRAPH.

Answer the following question. You must take one side or the other. Use 2 pieces of evidence in your write-up. Julian Hayden raised both Wes and Frank. Is

Julian a good father? Why or why not?

Julian Hayden raised both Wes and Frank. Is Julian a good father? Why or why not?

First, write a claim answering the question. Use the word “because” to try to make it more specific.

Next, find 2 pieces of evidence that support your claim.

Now, put it all together in a paragraph with transitions and the warrant.