The Claim Problem on the ACT Essay: Why Students Write Positions Instead of Arguments
A stronger thesis is not the fix. A different kind of thesis is.
THE DISTINCTION
A position is a general orientation toward the issue. A claim is specific, arguable, and makes a commitment the essay must honor. Most ACT essay theses are positions. The rubric rewards claims. Revising a position to make it more emphatic produces a stronger position. It does not produce a claim.
POSITION VS. CLAIM
Position: “Overall, I believe artificial intelligence has more benefits than drawbacks for society.” Any essay can follow this thesis. It imposes no argumentative constraint.
Claim: “AI can help students, but its biggest risk is that students may use it to avoid the hard thinking that builds problem-solving skill.” This commits to a specific reason and consequence. The essay must develop it.
WHY POSITIONS DOMINATE
The five-paragraph essay structure accommodates positions easily and claims poorly. A position allows three independent body paragraphs each making a separate supporting point. A claim requires three paragraphs that each develop a specific aspect of the argument’s reasoning. Students default to what they can execute in forty minutes. Position-level theses are easier to execute under time pressure. The rubric rewards claim-level theses. Preparation must bridge that gap explicitly.
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS
Hillocks, Teaching Argument Writing (2011): failure to construct specific, arguable claims is the primary source of underdevelopment in secondary student argument writing. Students explicitly taught the position-versus-claim distinction produced significantly stronger arguments at every grade level. The distinction is teachable. Most preparation programs do not teach it directly.