How to Write Assertions

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The assertion is one of the most important parts of an essay- especially an

argumentative one- so it’s very important that you know how to write them.

The assertion is where you make a claim and/or clearly define the side you
want to argue. It's easy to get lost when coming up with assertions. . Here’s a
quick guide to help you write perfect assertions for your essay.

Be knowledgeable
Before you start writing your assertions, make sure your facts are straight. Do
some research on the subject, and collect any important information that you
might need. Remember, every topic has two sides to it. 
Learn what they are, the pros and cons of each, and then compare. Be extra
vigilant when looking for sources. There should be a reputable source behind
any claim, so that you can be sure they’re accurate.

Back it all up
Your assertions needs to be a stable throughout. One of the best ways to hold
up your assertions is to surround them with your research findings. I
recommend following the assertion, evidence, commentary rubric. 

An essay asserting that Martin Luther King Jr. was a great man would be true,
but unconvincing if you don’t have enough evidence to support it, and
commentary to explain yourself? In addition, be careful not to stray too far
away from your topic when using evidence. Use your thesis statement as a
stabilizing guide while you are writing. 

Be clear and concise

Since each assertion lets you take a stand on your topic, it’s very important
that you keep things clear and concise. Don’t beat around the bush. State your
claim during the introduction, but don’t elaborate extensively yet. That’s for the
latter parts of the essay. There’s also no need to use too many adjectives. Just
keep everything short and to the point. Ideally, an assertion is only one
sentence long, much like a thesis statement.

Be thematic
Once you’ve written your assertions down, you can proceed with the rest of
your essay. You have to keep in mind that your essay’s structure has to be
built around the assertions that you made in the first place. This means that
most of the things you write afterwards should support and corroborate your
assertions, and not contradict them. 

You can present differing evidence, but be sure that they are used as possible
counter-arguments, and address them efficiently in your essay.
SOURCE: How to write assertions. (2016, November 10). Retrieved September 22, 2020, from
http://formatically.com/how-to-write-assertions

HOW TO HARNESS THE FIVE TYPES OF

ASSERTION TO GET YOUR VOICE HEARD
Posted by Melanie Newton | People and HR, Writing and Communication |     
Did you know there is more than one way to be assertive? Did you know that assertiveness is a
skill that you can learn? Before I talk about that, let’s look at what assertiveness is and is not.
Some people confuse assertiveness with aggression, and think that to assert yourself is to
stubbornly argue a point without compromise. This couldn’t be further than the truth! Being
assertive means communicating your needs, wants, feelings, beliefs, and opinions to others in a
direct and honest way, without intentionally hurting anyone’s feelings.
 It can be helpful to think about assertiveness as the middle point on a continuum between
aggression at one end and passivity at the other. Being aggressive in interactions with others may
get you what you want in the short-term, however it is likely to put a strain on your relationships
in the long-term. Taking a passive approach though is really no better. It may help you to avoid
conflict, but the personal price you pay includes feeling helpless and out of control. In contrast,
being assertive – with direct and honest communication – can reduce conflict, build your self-
confidence, and improve your personal and work relationships.

We are not born with ‘assertiveness’. Assertiveness is a skill. And that means anyone can learn
how to be more assertive. Being assertive means:
 Standing up for your rights and not being taken advantage of.

 Communicating what you really want in a clear fashion, respecting your own rights and feelings
and the rights and feelings of others.

 An honest and appropriate expression of one’s feelings, opinions, and needs.

So if assertiveness reduces conflict, builds confidence, and is good for relationships why don’t
more people assert their wants and needs?

WHY DO PEOPLE AVOID BEING ASSERTIVE?

Most people are not assertive for fear of upsetting others and of not being liked. Another reason
people avoid being assertive is because they are not sure how! Assertiveness, like any skill,
needs to be learned and practiced. In a nutshell, assertiveness is:

 An expression of who you are, it communicates your values,

 Honest,

 Respectful of others rights and boundaries,

 Learned,

 Communication – both verbal and nonverbal (posture, eye contact, tone of voice, gestures).
 HOW ASSERTIVE ARE YOU?
To determine if you could benefit from being more assertive in your life, take a moment to
answer the following questions:

If your answer to most of these questions is ‘no’, then you may benefit from learning some
assertiveness skills. An important factor to keep in mind is that there is more than one way to be
assertive. Next I will discuss five types of assertiveness and examples of how you can use these
in your daily life.

FIVE TYPES OF ASSERTIVENESS

1. Basic Assertion
Basic assertion is a simple expression of your personal rights, beliefs, feelings, or opinions.
Let’s look at a reasonably frequent example in peoples lives – being interrupted. If you are
interrupted, you might say to the person “Excuse me, I’d like to finish what I’m saying.” Often, the
other person will be unaware that they have interrupted or spoken over you, and this simple
technique allows you to express your need simply and firmly.
2. Empathic Assertion
This is the acknowledgement of another person’s situation or feelings followed by a statement
standing up for your rights. A person is less likely to become angry or defensive if you
acknowledge and validate the emotion behind what they are saying. You might say something
like – “I know you are feeling angry and frustrated while you wait for a response [this is the
acknowledgement], I completely get why you would feel like that [this is the validation]. But, the best I
can do is give you a ballpark estimate of how long it will take.” This is a particular skill I teach to
couples during couples counselling – how to listen for the emotion in what a person is saying.
3. Escalating Assertion
This is where you begin with an assertive response, however the other person (for whatever
reason) fails to respond. You would then gradually escalate the assertion. That is, you would
become increasingly firm without being aggressive. So turning back to the first example, if the
person continues to interrupt you, you might say “I know what you have to say is important, but I
really want to finish what I was saying”.
4. I-Language Assertion
This type of assertion is very effective during conflict, and it is a technique I specifically teach to
couples to help them to manage conflict more effectively. It is made up of a number of very
specific statements:
Description of behaviour: “When you … ,”
How it affects you life: “It affects … ,”
Describe your feelings: “and I feel …;”
Describe your desire: “Therefore, I would like …”
Let’s put all of that together in an example. Imagine a couple having an argument. Katie notices
that Paul is starting to raise his voice and she is getting uncomfortable and a little scared. Katie
might say something life this – “When you raise your voice (the effect is) I start to shut
 down  because I feel scared.  Therefore, I would like for you to use a softer tone of voice to tell
me what you want.”
5. Positive Assertion
For a lot of people, this final type of assertiveness can be the most difficult. It is about
expressing positive feelings about yourself or someone else. Most people can feel
uncomfortable ‘blowing their own trumpet’, but is has a wonderful impact on your self-esteem
and is an important skill to master. Imagine a dad reviewing his day with his partner – “I know
I’ve had some difficulty with disciplining in the past, but I did a really good job today.” Or someone
talking to their boss – “I really feel I managed that complaint well.”
Or a parent talking to their child – “wow that was a really big feeling you had. It can be scary when
you have big feelings like that can’t it? I am so proud of how you managed that right now.”
The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our
lives  – Tony Robbins

SOURCE: Newton, M. (2016). How to harness the five types of assertion to get your voice heard |
Business Business Business. Retrieved 15 September 2020, from

https://www.businessbusinessbusiness.com.au/harness-five-types-assertion-get-voice-heard/

Assertion
Definition of Assertion
When someone makes a statement investing his strong belief in it, as if it is
true, though it may not be, he is making an assertion. Assertion is a stylistic
approach or technique involving a strong declaration, a forceful or confident
and positive statement regarding a belief or a fact. Often, it is without proof or
any support. Its purpose is to express ideas or feelings directly, for instance, “I
have put my every effort to complete this task today.”

Types of Assertion
Assertion has four types, including:

Basic Assertion

It is a simple and straightforward statement for expressing feelings, opinions,

and beliefs such as:
  “I wish I could have expressed this idea earlier, because now someone
else has taken the credit.”
 “Excuse me, first I want to finish my work, then I shall go with you.”

Emphatic Assertion

It conveys sympathy to someone, and usually has two parts: the first

encompasses recognition of the feelings or situations of the other person, and
the second is a statement that shows support for the other person’s viewpoint,
feelings, or rights such as:

 “I understand you are busy, and me too, but it is difficult for me to finish
this project on my own. So, I want you to help me complete this project.”
 “I know this is making you angry and frustrated because you have not
gotten a response yet. But I can help you by giving you an estimate of
how long it might take.”

Escalating Assertion

It occurs when someone is not able to give a response to a person’s basic

assertions, and therefore that person becomes firm about him or her such as:

 “If you do not finish this work by 6:00 tonight, I I will engage the services
of another worker.”
 “I really want to finish this point before you start yours.”

Language Assertion

It involves the first person pronoun “I,” and is useful for expressing negative

feelings. Nevertheless, it constructively lays emphasis on a person’s feelings
of anger such as:

 “When you speak harshly, I cannot work with you because I feel
annoyed. Therefore, I want you to speak nicely and then assign me a
task.”
 “When I don’t get enough sleep, it affects my nerves and I feel irritated.
Therefore, I try to go to bed earlier.”

Examples of Assertion in Literature

Example #1: Animal Farm (By George Orwell)

In Animal Farm, pigs make use of assertion as a tool for

making propaganda in the entire novel. This is to weaken the position of
other animals, preventing contradiction with their rules and leadership. In
chapter seven, Squealer informs other animals that they need not sing the
original anthem of the Old Major, Beasts of England — a song they used to
inspire the revolution in the chapter one. Squealer asserts, saying:

“It’s no longer needed, comrade … In Beasts of England we expressed our

longing for a better society in days to come. However, that society has now
been established. Clearly this song has no longer any purpose.”

Look at his language where he gives them information that is obvious, which
they have realized already, and no one can make arguments against it. Thus,
no one argued against his assertion.

Example #2: Pride and Prejudice (By Jane Austen)

Elizabeth conceals her surprise at the news of Darcy’s plan to marry her.
When Lady Catherine objects to this marriage, as Bennets have low
connections and their marriage would ruin Darcy’s position before his friends
and society, Elizabeth attempts to defend her family background by asserting:

“I am a gentleman’s daughter.”

In fact, she sets herself free from the exasperating control of snobs like Miss
Bingley, Mr. Collins, and Lady Catherine, and declares:

“I am … resolved.”

Then further says with assertion:

“… to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my

happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected
with me.”

Example #3: Cherry Orchard (By Anton Chekov)

Trofimov and Lopakhin exchange barbed words, and Lopakhin calls Trofimov
an “eternal student.” When Lopakhin asks Trofimov’s views about him,
Trofimov replies that he considers Lopakhin as “a soon-to-be-millionaire,” and
“a beast of prey.” Then, Gayev points towards the conversation about pride
the two men had earlier.

Trofimov asserts with reasoning about the folly of their pride, as man is a
“pretty poor physiological specimen,” they are in misery, and “the only thing to
do is work.” Although, he was pessimistic about the current situation of
humans, however, he starts feeling optimistic for their future. He expresses
this idea with assertion and rebukes Russian intellectuals, as they do not even
know the meaning of work.

Example #4: Othello (By William Shakespeare)

DESDEMONA:
“I never did
Offend you in my life, never loved Cassio
But with such general warranty of heaven
As I might love. I never gave him token.”

In these lines, Desdemona makes a dying assertion that she is innocent,

denying Othello’s accusations. However, blinded by emotion and furious,
Othello is resolved to kill her.

Function of Assertion
The function of assertion is to let readers to feel that they should not disagree
or dispute what they read or hear; rather, they should accept the idea or
notion as an indisputable fact. It has proved to be one of the best approaches
for writers to express their personal feelings, beliefs, and ideas in a direct way.
By using this technique, writers can defend others’ feelings and rights if
violated. This rhetorical style also expresses self-affirmation and rational
thinking of personal respect or worth. It is very common in various fields of life,
like literature, politics, advertisements, and legal affairs.

SOURCE: Assertion - Examples and Definition of Assertion. (2015, May 7). Retrieved September 22,
2020, from https://literarydevices.net/assertion/

Ramones, V. (2018, August 8). FORMULATING ASSERTIONS. Retrieved September 22, 2020, from
https://www.slideshare.net/VanessaRamones/formulating-assertions
Opinions and Commonplace Assertions VS. Facts

2  Opinion Based on a belief or feeling on what seems true or probable

An opinion or assertion is a judgment.Ex. Green is the best color for the room.A judgment or belief
that may be supported by factual evidence, but it cannot be proved.

3  Commonplace Assertion
Example: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Or “Art lifts the human spirit.”A claim that a
person makes but cannot always prove.Be aware that some writers present opinions, assertions, or
beliefs as facts. To get the truth, use resources to distinguish between them.

4  Word Clues for Recognizing Opinion and Commonplace Assertions:

I believeIn my opinionWithout questionAlways/AllCannotMustNeverBest/WorstThese are broad
statements that reveal a personal judgment.

5  FactsCan be proved or disproved.

6  REMEMBER:Factual Claim – statement that can be proven from evidence such as fact, personal
observation, reliable source, or expert’s opinionOpinion – a statement of personal belief, feeling or
thought. Does not require proofCommonplace Assertion – a statement that many people assume to
be true but which is not necessarily so.