CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1c

ELAGrades 9–10Text Types and Purposes

The Standard

Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

What This Standard Means

Students need to make an argument essay feel connected, not like a list of separate points. They should use transitions, repeated key terms, and clear sentence links to show how claims, reasons, evidence, and counterclaims fit together.

Mastery looks like a reader can follow the logic without guessing. Each paragraph connects back to the claim, evidence is introduced and explained, and counterclaims are linked fairly. Students often get stuck using basic transitions like “first” and “also” without showing the actual relationship between ideas.

Ways to Teach It

Give students a cut-up argument essay and have them reorder paragraphs, then add transition phrases on sticky notes to explain each move.
Prompt students to revise one body paragraph by adding two sentences that explain how the evidence supports the reason.
Use an exit ticket with three sentence pairs and ask students to choose the best linking phrase for each relationship.
Show a short opinion article and have students highlight words that connect the claim, evidence, and opposing view.