English
Evidence and reasoning.
Definition
The combination of factual support (evidence) and logical explanation (reasoning) used to prove a claim in writing or speech. Evidence is the 'what' — facts, quotes, data, or examples — while reasoning is the 'so what' — the explanation of how the evidence supports the argument.
Examples
Real-world.
- 1 Citing a statistic about graduation rates (evidence) and then explaining how it proves your point about education funding (reasoning)
- 2 Quoting a character's dialogue (evidence) and analyzing what it reveals about their motivation (reasoning)
- 3 Using a historical example (evidence) and connecting it to a modern-day parallel (reasoning)