In Body Paragraphs you learned that every point needs evidence. Not all evidence is the same. Each kind has strengths and limits, and a good writer chooses the kind that fits the claim.
| Kind | Example | Strength | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fact | The library has 30,000 books. | can be checked | may not prove a bigger point alone |
| Statistic | 72% of surveyed students walk to school. | shows how common something is | depends on who was counted and how |
| Example | Last winter the north lot flooded twice. | makes a point concrete | one case may be unusual |
| Expert testimony | A pediatrician explains why teens need sleep. | brings knowledge the writer lacks | only as good as the expert’s field and evidence |
| Anecdote | My cousin got sick after swimming in the lake. | vivid and personal | one story can’t prove a general claim |
Key idea
Facts, statistics, examples, expert testimony and anecdotes can all support a point. Match the evidence to the claim: a general claim (“most,” “usually,” “students”) needs evidence about many cases, not one story.
Why it works
Evidence earns a reader’s trust only if it fits what it is asked to prove. One vivid story can make a reader feel something, but it can’t show that something is common. Purdue OWL’s guide to research and evidence makes the same point: use reliable, relevant evidence, and say how it supports your claim.
Worked example: Name the kind
“According to the National Weather Service, lightning can strike more than ten miles from a storm.”
- It reports what an expert source says.
- The source is a government weather agency with the knowledge to say it.
Answer: Expert testimony (from an authoritative source).
Worked example: Does it fit the claim?
Claim: “Most students in our school want a later start time.” Evidence: “My friend Ava says she would love to sleep in.” Is that enough?
- The claim is about most students: a general claim.
- The evidence is one person’s view: an anecdote.
- A general claim needs evidence about many people, such as a survey of the school.
Answer: No. One anecdote can’t show what most students want.
Common mistake
Treating one story, an anecdote, as proof of a general claim. Logicians call it a hasty generalization. Check: count the cases behind your evidence. If the claim says “most” or “people,” the evidence should cover many people, not one.
Anecdotes still have a place: they make a statistic human. Pair them: “72% of surveyed students walk to school; for Sam, that walk is two miles each way.” Debaters weigh evidence the same way; see the Debate section’s chapter on research and evidence.