Choosing the Strongest Evidence

Compare possible pieces of evidence and select the one that best supports a claim.

Not all evidence is equally strong. When several details relate to your answer, choose the one that most directly and specifically supports it. Strong evidence is specific (a precise detail, not a general statement), directly connected (it proves the exact point, not something nearby), and hard to explain away (it would be difficult to read it another way). Suppose the claim is: 'The narrator is afraid of the ocean. ' Possible evidence: (A) 'We went to the beach every summer. ' (B) 'The waves were tall that day.

' (C) 'I stayed on my towel, gripping the sand, while my cousins splashed and called my name. ' A only shows the narrator visited the beach. B describes the waves, not the narrator. C shows the narrator refusing to go in and holding on tight, which directly suggests fear. Many test questions are two-part: answer a question, then choose the evidence for it. Pick the evidence that would convince a skeptical reader.

• 1Strong evidence is specific and directly connected.
• 2It should be hard to read in another way.
• 3Choose the evidence that would convince a skeptic.