Minutes a day n e w y o r k

P r a c t i c e   1
Choose one of the essays for which you developed an outline in Lesson 6 or 7. List at least four supporting ideas
for your thesis. Include at least one specific example and at least one fact.
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P R O V I D I N G   S U P P O R T
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7 9
A Note about Statistics
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R e a s o n s
For many essays, the best way to support your thesis is to explain why you think the way you do. That explana-
tion will lay out your reasons—some will be facts, others will be opinions. The key to this type of support is logic.
Your reasons must be based on evidence or good common sense. That is, they must be logical.
To meet that standard, many reasons need considerable support. They can’t simply be stated with an expec-
tation that the audience will believe them. Here is another thesis:
School officials should not be allowed to randomly search students’ lockers and backpacks.
For support, the following reasons could be used:
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These searches violate the right to privacy.
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Searches should not be done randomly, but only when there is a suspected violation.
Both of these reasons are opinions, and they need support to be convincing. The writer must use evidence to
show that these opinions are logical and reasonable. To support the first reason, he could define the right to pri-
vacy (a combination of specific examples, facts, and description); he could provide an example or describe a cer-
tain situation where a search led to a violation of privacy (specific example, anecdote); and provide expert opinion.
To support the second assertion, he could explore the idea that “random searches” can lead to profiling of
who is searched, and that without a suspected violation, everyone then becomes a suspect unless otherwise
cleared of a violation; and provide expert opinion.
Of course, people’s reasons for believing certain things are often very personal and highly debatable. While
it’s fine—and often effective—to use emotional arguments to convince your readers, the more logical your rea-
sons, the more effective they will be as support.