Grade 5 · Writing · Lesson 26

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.

What this lesson teaches

1State a clear claim in one strong sentence about a question that matters
2Build three distinct reasons that each prove the claim from a different angle
3Pair every reason with real evidence — a fact, number, example, or expert quote
4Match each claim to the single best reason that proves it

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