Question

read the sample student claim.

if higher education was made free for everyone, i would be thrilled because more people would purse knowledge to obtain more successful careers.

why is this not an effective claim?

• it is a topic with two or more viewpoints.
• it does not contain the writers opinion.
• it is simply a personal preference or feeling.
• it can not be supported by evidence.

Explanation:

Analyze the student claim

The sample student claim states: "If higher education was made free for everyone, I would be thrilled because more people would purse knowledge to obtain more successful careers."

We need to evaluate this statement using the Characteristics of a Claim to determine why it is not an effective academic claim.

Identify the weakness

An effective academic claim must be arguable, precise, and focused on an objective stance rather than personal emotions.

In the statement, the phrase "I would be thrilled" expresses a highly subjective, personal feeling or emotional reaction rather than an objective, arguable position.

Evaluate the given options

• Option 1: "It is a topic with two or more viewpoints." This is actually a requirement for a good claim (it must be arguable), so this does not explain why it is ineffective.
• Option 2: "It does not contain the writer's opinion." The statement clearly contains the writer's personal perspective ("I would be thrilled"), so this is incorrect.
• Option 3: "It is simply a personal preference or feeling." This directly addresses the phrase "I would be thrilled," which frames the argument around personal emotion rather than an objective, evidence-based stance.
• Option 4: "It can not be supported by evidence." While weak, one could find evidence about free education and career success, but the primary structural flaw is its framing as a personal feeling.

Thus, the claim is ineffective because it is framed as a personal preference or feeling.

Answer:

• It is a topic with two or more viewpoints.
• It does not contain the writer's opinion.
• It is simply a personal preference or feeling. (Correct answer)
• It can not be supported by evidence.