Support ideas with three clear reasons

A strong piece of persuasive writing follows a clean pattern called CLAIM-EVIDENCE-REASONING. You make a CLAIM (the idea you believe is true), back it with THREE REASONS, and tie each reason to real EVIDENCE — a fact, a number, an example, or an expert quote. Three is the magic number: more than three and the reader stops tracking, fewer than three and the argument feels thin. This lesson is about building that three-reason backbone so every claim you make can stand on its own legs.

The Claim-Evidence-Reasoning Pattern

1. CLAIM — your idea, in ONE clear sentence. ("Kids should go to bed earlier on weeknights.") The claim is what you want the reader to believe by the end.
2. REASONS (x3) — three different WHYs. Each reason should attack the claim from a fresh angle, not just say the same thing in new words.
3. EVIDENCE — for each reason, give one concrete piece of proof: a number, a study, a story, or an expert quote. Evidence is what turns a guess into an argument.
4. REASONING — one short line that ties each reason back to the claim. "That is why..." or "This shows we should..."

Three Reasons, Three Different Angles

• Three reasons should not be three versions of the same idea. "It is good for kids, it helps kids, kids like it" is really one reason said three ways.
• Aim for three DIFFERENT angles. Example for "Kids should go to bed earlier on weeknights": (1) BIOLOGY — better sleep; (2) LEARNING — sharper focus; (3) SAFETY — fewer injuries from tired, clumsy mistakes.
• Common angle pairs: HEALTH + LEARNING + COMMUNITY, or COST + TIME + WELLBEING, or SAFETY + FAIRNESS + RESULTS.
• Order the reasons strategically. Many writers put the second-strongest first, the weakest in the middle, and the STRONGEST last — endings stick in the reader’s mind.

Evidence: What Counts and What Doesn’t

• A NUMBER or STATISTIC — "Tweens need 9 hours of sleep, but most get only 7." Real numbers carry weight.
• A REAL EXAMPLE — "Last fall, three kids on our soccer team twisted ankles at Saturday practice after staying up past midnight." Specific beats vague.
• AN EXPERT QUOTE — "The American Academy of Pediatrics says kids ages 6 to 12 need 9 to 12 hours of sleep each night." Quote real organizations or studies.
• NOT evidence: "Everyone knows...", "It is just obvious...", "I really feel that..." Feelings aren’t proof. Repeating the claim louder isn’t proof either.

Worked Example: An Earlier Weeknight Bedtime

• CLAIM — "Kids ages 10–12 should have a 9:00 pm bedtime on weeknights instead of 10:30 pm."
• REASON 1 (BIOLOGY) — Tweens need more sleep than they get. EVIDENCE — "The CDC says kids aged 11-14 need 9-11 hours of sleep, but only one in three actually gets that."
• REASON 2 (LEARNING) — Rested kids focus and remember better. EVIDENCE — "A 2019 sleep study found kids who slept 9 hours scored 8% higher on memory and focus puzzles than kids who slept 7."
• REASON 3 (SAFETY) — Tired kids get hurt more often. EVIDENCE — "A 2014 sports study found young athletes who slept less than 8 hours were 1.7 times more likely to get injured."
• REASONING — Each reason hits a different need (health, learning, safety), and together they make the case the claim could not make alone.