Ashford should build bike lanes on Elm Road. The town counted 400 riders on Elm last May. A bike lane is a marked strip for riders only. Last fall a sixth grader was clipped by a truck there. Which sentence states the debatable claim the others support?

Every classroom ought to have a recycling bin. Sorting waste is the easiest habit a school can teach. Our school throws away 60 plastic bottles a day. Students would take more pride in a clean building. Which sentence states a fact anyone could check?

Phones should stay in lockers during class. Students who put phones away finish work faster. Our school has 480 students. Phones can be picked up at the final bell. Which sentence gives a reason for the claim about lockers?

Homework should be limited to thirty minutes a night. Sixth graders need time to sleep and play. Last term Mr. Ruiz capped his math practice at ten problems. Report cards go home in January. Which sentence illustrates the point with an example?

Uniforms should not be required at Bell Middle School. The current policy began in 2014. Students dress for the weather better than a rulebook can. A uniform is clothing a school requires. Which sentence is the main claim the rest supports?

Bell Middle should start at 9:00. Teens sleep better with a later start. A later start would also cut morning bus traffic. The first bell now rings at 7:40. Which sentence is the writer's main claim, supported by the others?

The library closes at six. The library should stay open later. Students who work at home get distracted. Quiet study space is worth more than another gym hour. Which sentence is a fact that can be checked, not a claim?

Read this argument: "Cafeteria lines are too slow. Lunch lasts twenty-five minutes." The second sentence is a verifiable fact rather than a debatable claim.

The town should plant more trees along Main Street. Fourteen elms were removed last year. A shade tree can lower summer sidewalk temperatures. Main Street currently has twelve trees total. Which sentence states the debatable claim the others support?

Riverton collects recycling on Tuesdays. The program started in 2019. The town should collect it twice a week. Bins overflow by Sunday in most neighborhoods. Which sentence states a claim the writer must support?

The town should repaint the crosswalk on Oak Street. Drivers cannot see the faded lines at dusk. Oak Street runs past the elementary school. Paint crews come every April. Which sentence gives a reason for the claim about repainting?

Schools can cut waste without spending money. Trays can be washed instead of tossed. Hill School switched to washable trays and saved 300 pounds of trash. Waste is anything thrown out. Which sentence gives a specific example?

A bike lane is a marked strip of road set aside for riders. Our town has none. The council should add one on Pine Street. Riders now share a lane with delivery trucks. Which sentence is a claim the writer must defend rather than a fact?

Students should be allowed to keep phones in class. A phone is the fastest way to reach a parent. The school day runs seven hours. Ms. Patel lets her class use phones for polls. Which sentence is the claim the other three support?

Homework should count for less of the grade. Practice is more useful when it is not graded. Grades now include 20 percent homework. Students rush work they know is scored. Which sentence is a checkable fact, not a claim to defend?

Sixth graders should have a longer lunch. Rushed eating leaves students hungry by fifth period. On Monday, Dana finished half a sandwich before the bell. Lunch is scheduled at 11:20. Which sentence gives a REASON for the claim?

Uniforms belong at Bell Middle School. Mornings would go faster for families. Nobody would be judged for a brand. Uniforms cost about $40 a set. Which sentence is the main claim rather than a supporting point?

The gym floor was replaced in 2022. That money would have been better spent on books. Students deserve shelves they want to browse. Reading matters more than a shiny floor. Which sentence is actually a verifiable fact?

Our town's recycling program is not worth its cost. It costs $90,000 a year to run. Crews collect from 2,000 homes each week. Most of what is collected is shipped overseas. Which sentence states a debatable claim?

Field trips should return to the spring schedule. Buses cost less after April. The trip to the harbor was canceled in March. Spring trips ran every year until 2020. Which sentence answers WHY the claim should be accepted?