Claims, Reasons, and Assumptions

Claims, reasons, and assumptions are the basic building blocks needed to create an argument. A claim is a belief or opinion a person makes known to others. A reason is a point or a fact used to back the claim. An assumption is a preconceived belief necessary for the reason and claim to be valid. I learned that by using the block method, or various other methods of choice, you can break down exactly what your claim is and from there you can determine what your reason and assumptions are specifically. I realized that this can be very useful to do before sitting down to write because it can help me clarify what exactly my assumptions are and separate them from my reasons in order to make my claim more rock solid. It can also help me to more easily think of possible counter arguments so that I may address them in my writing.

GRAPE

GRAPE is an acronym for Genre, Rhetoric, Audience, Purpose, and Exigence. They are the main aspects needed for effective writing. I learned that all these aspects work together in many different ways to create good writing. I never really understood exigence until I read about it. It is a lot like a purpose, however it is mainly an issue or problem that instigates the writing. I also learned that these concepts are very much intertwined. You cannot have an audience without a purpose as to why you have that audience and you cannot have a purpose without having an audience to give it to. I can use these tools in my writing by simply remembering their meanings and applying them as I write. As I do so, I know that my writing can and will become not only more understandable, but also more persuasive and efficient in the way it is presented.