CCEN4003 Introduction to Academic English 2024-25

L10: Support Ideas with Evidence

Support Ideas with Evidence

Learning Outcomes:

• Recognise that even if an idea is true, it must be supported with high-quality evidence to meet academic
standards and strengthen the argument.
• Be familiar with various types of supporting evidence such as facts, research findings, statistics, data,
examples, case studies, and experts’ statements or claims.
• Assess whether the evidence used in writing is specific, of high quality, type-appropriate for the discipline,
properly referenced, and whether it only supports the main ideas rather than making them.

Task 1

Orientation

a) Question: “I don’t speak in paragraphs, so I don’t write my essays in paragraphs. If it’s less than a thousand
words, I just write a big block of text – this makes the essay flow.” Is this a good approach?
Disagree, as this will overwhelm and confuse the reader. Points must be stated and developed within
distinct body paragraphs (and summarised at the end/conclusion) – perhaps 3-4 in an essay of this length.
Good paragraphing can help a coherent flow as each idea is fully understood before it is linked to the next
one.

b) Assume that you are going to elect a new leader of your country. You hear this campaign speech:

Our country is in a crisis. Our enemies laugh at us, criminals

rule the streets, and our economy fails. If you vote for me, I will
make our country great again. I will boost military spending,
employ more police and reduce taxes.

Based on this speech, decide whether you would vote for this candidate, giving reasons. Get ready to share
this with the class.

No – the claims lack supporting evidence of crime increases, economic problems, etc. and details of the size
of the spending increases and tax cuts, which seem impossible without driving up the national debt and
damaging the economy

The need for evidence

Even if your ideas or points are true, your writing will seem weak and not meet academic standards if you do not provide
evidence. You must support your ideas with high-quality evidence.

You learnt the last lesson about the need for PEE in every body paragraph: start with a Point or main idea expressed in
a topic sentence, which must then be supported with Evidence and developed with Explanation, elaboration, or other
appropriate expansion.

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CCEN4003 Introduction to Academic English 2024-25
L10: Support Ideas with Evidence

Task 2

Lack of Evidence

Assume that, for your Environmental Sciences subject, you must write an essay on the following topic: Examine the
use of nuclear energy to limit climate change.

You write a draft paragraph as follows:

Although limiting climate change is possible by replacing coal and gas with nuclear energy, this has not happened
for several reasons, one of which is fear. Those against nuclear power fear that nuclear technology creates
dangerous radiation, but it is known that natural radiation is higher. They emphasise the “victims of the atom”
with the horrors of nuclear attacks and accidents at power stations while ignoring victims from fossil fuel extraction,
such as coal mining, and from air pollution. They worry that nuclear energy produces deadly toxic waste that lasts
for centuries, seemingly ignorant that technology means the waste has no consequence on the planet or humanity.
The latest-generation power stations are among the safest, cleanest and cheapest ways to produce large amounts
of electricity, so they should not be feared.

Given that there are no language mistakes, what is wrong with this paragraph? The ideas are not supported with
evidence.

Different Types of Supporting Evidence

A writer’s points or ideas can be supported by:

• Facts, research findings

and common knowledge
• Statistics and data
• Examples and case
studies
• Experts’ statements and
claims.

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CCEN4003 Introduction to Academic English 2024-25
L10: Support Ideas with Evidence

Task 3

Match the Evidence

a) Match each type of evidence to the example, using lines:

Facts/findings/ Afshordi and Magueijo (2016) propose that, at the start of the universe, the heat was so
common intense that it accelerated the light particles to such speeds that there was an instant,
knowledge massive explosion of light.

Tretkof (2005) provides an example of its use in quantum computing to create parallel
Statistics/ and simultaneous calculations that can be performed faster than the common series of
data calculations in ordinary machines.

Examples/ Many activists are calling for action due to the evidence of man-made climate change,
case studies which was first detailed by Guy Callendar in 1938.

Experts’ Ruddiman (2013) notes that two greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and methane,
statements / increased in atmospheric concentration after 1850, with CO2 levels rising by 43% and
claims CH4 rising by 160% in 170 years.

b) Read the examples below and answer these questions. Assuming that such evidence exists, which of the types of
evidence above would be most appropriate to support these ideas from the task 2 paragraph? Do they all need
evidence? Can you explain your answer to your group?

1) nuclear technology creates dangerous radiation. No evidence: a basic idea and widely accepted as true.
2) the horrors of nuclear attacks. Although an example is possible, “such as Hiroshima”, it is not necessary for
the same reasons given above. Is a nice nuclear attack possible?
3) and accidents at power stations. Although an example is possible, “such as Chernobyl”, it is not necessary
for the same reasons given above. Do you know why Fukushima is famous?
4) natural radiation is higher. This idea needs evidence. Radiation levels can be measured (in numbers and
using units called becquerels and sieverts), so data is necessary to support this idea.
5) victims of fossil fuel extraction, such as coal mining. This needs evidence, such as statistics on the number
of coal miners who have lost their lives through accidents or health problems.
6) [and victims] from air pollution. This needs evidence, such as examples of fatal diseases caused by air
pollution or statistics on the number of deaths due to air pollution.
7) nuclear energy produces deadly toxic waste that lasts for centuries. Evidence is not necessary for the same
reasons given before. Imagine that this waste glows green in movies and cartoons, e.g., The Simpsons.
8) Technology means the waste has no consequence on the planet or humanity. This needs evidence, such as
an example of how the technology works, facts/findings, or an expert’s statement about the lack of
consequences.
9) the latest generation power stations are among the safest, cleanest and cheapest ways to produce large
amounts of electricity. This needs evidence, and the idea is based around superlatives, “safest, cleanest,
cheapest” that show opinion, so an expert’s statement/claim is needed.

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CCEN4003 Introduction to Academic English 2024-25
L10: Support Ideas with Evidence

Task 4

Using STRONG Evidence

Never insert evidence that you don’t fully understand, thinking that it looks impressive and hoping that it is relevant.
Evidence must be:

Specific 1
Type appropriate for the point you are making, and your discipline 3
of a Referenced properly, to acknowledge the source that it comes from 4
ONly supporting your main ideas or points, not making them for you 5
Good quality and reliable 2

a) Match the rules above to the correct explanations below. Insert 1-5 in the spaces provided.

1) Do NOT include obvious or general source evidence or follow your claim with someone else saying much the
same thing. Use a specific detail, expert claim or research finding.
2) Find it in academic-level sources, books or journals that pass the CRAP test.
3) Statistics and data are most important in the sciences and social sciences, while quotations and examples
are more common in arts/ humanities subjects.
4) This means that in the text of your essay, next to the evidence, you must include the source’s author and
date. Failure to do so is a serious form of cheating called plagiarism.
5) Using too little evidence is a problem but so is using too much. It must not replace your voice and should
never appear in the topic sentence of your body paragraphs. Remember ‘PEE in every body paragraph’?

b) In the paragraph below, a student has attempted to improve the paragraph from Task 1, but it is NOT good work.
The changes have been highlighted and underlined.

Although limiting climate change is possible by replacing coal and gas with nuclear energy, this has not
happened for several reasons, one of which is fear (Schellenberger, 2018). Those against nuclear power fear
that nuclear technology creates dangerous radiation, but it is known that natural radiation is higher because
nature produces many more sieverts of radiation (Harris, 2011). They emphasise the “victims of the atom”
with the horrors of nuclear attacks and accidents at power stations while ignoring victims from fossil fuel
extraction, such as coal mining, and from air pollution. In China, 670,000 people die every year from coal-
related air pollution alone, which is three times the total number of people worldwide who have died
from radiation in the last 100 years, including the two nuclear bombs dropped on Japan. They worry
that nuclear energy produces deadly toxic waste that lasts for centuries, seemingly ignorant that technology
means the waste has no consequence on the planet or humanity. A recent survey by PORI (2019) showed
63% of respondents are worried about the Daya Bay nuclear power station, which is 50kms away from
Hong Kong. The latest generation power stations are among the safest, cleanest and cheapest ways to produce
large amounts of electricity, so they “should not be feared”, according to the Public Relations Officer of
Daya Bay (2020, para.4).

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CCEN4003 Introduction to Academic English 2024-25
L10: Support Ideas with Evidence

Explain where and in what way the five rules of STRONG evidence have NOT been followed:

1) Specific “natural radiation is higher because nature produces many more sieverts of radiation (Harris, 2011)”
of a Type appropriate for the point you are making and your discipline
This is not detailed or specific; in fact, it mostly repeats the idea:
Natural radiation = nature produces … radiation
Higher = many more sieverts

2) of a Type appropriate for the point you are making and your discipline technology means the waste
has no consequence on the planet or humanity. A recent survey by PORI (2019) showed that 63% of
respondents are worried about the Daya Bay nuclear power station, which is 50km away from Hong Kong.
This is the wrong type of evidence for the idea: a survey showing worries does not support an idea about no
effect or consequence. Surveys are usually used to show opinion. However, this idea needs an example of
how the technology works, or facts/findings or an expert’s statement about the lack of consequences.

3) Referenced properly to acknowledge the source that it comes from In China, 670,000 people die every year
from coal-related air pollution… in the last 100 years, including the two nuclear bombs dropped on Japan.
This does not have a reference (name, date) so it is plagiarised from the source(s).

4) ONly supporting your ideas or points, not making them for you this has not happened for several reasons,
one of which is fear (Schellenberger, 2018).
A reference at the end of the statement means the idea in the statement came from the referenced source.
This is a topic sentence, which must be the writer’s topic/point, not an idea from a source. So, you must NOT
put references into topic sentences.

5) Good quality and reliability “should not be feared”, according to the Public Relations Officer of Daya Bay
(2020, para.4).
This is not a reliable source because it is a Public Relations officer (a job like marketing - do you think adverts
tell the truth?). The reference shows it is a quote from a website (para.4), and websites are too low-quality,
so the type of source is unreliable, too.

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CCEN4003 Introduction to Academic English 2024-25
L10: Support Ideas with Evidence

c) Working in a group, write a version of the paragraph by adding evidence and following the STRONG rules. You can
make up the evidence and source/reference for this task.

Although limiting climate change is possible by replacing coal and gas with nuclear energy, this has not happened for
several reasons, one of which is fear. Those against nuclear power fear that nuclear technology creates dangerous
radiation, but it is known that natural radiation from the sun measures 230mSv on the surface of the Earth
compared to only 0.01mSv next to a nuclear power station (Harris, 2011). The fearful emphasise the “victims
of the atom” with the horrors of nuclear attacks and accidents at power stations while ignoring victims from fossil
fuel extraction, such as coal mining, and from air pollution. NASA scientists Kharecha and Hansen (2013) show
coal is far more deadly than nuclear because, in China, 670,000 people die every year from coal-related air
pollution alone, which is three times the total number of people worldwide who have died from radiation in
the last 100 years, including the two nuclear bombs dropped on Japan, according to Ham (2014). Even
worries that nuclear energy produces deadly toxic waste that lasts for centuries are unfounded, according to
Schellenberger (2018), who shows that technology means the waste has no consequence on the planet or humanity.
He argues that the latest generation power stations are among the safest, cleanest and cheapest ways to produce
large amounts of electricity, so they should not be feared.

Consultation for Assessment 1. Your first assessment is due on the day of lesson 10 before 11:59 pm. Of course, you
are not allowed to ask your tutor for comments on your work before it is assessed because this would be a collaboration
with your tutor. However, you should ask your tutor questions about anything you are unsure about. Ask at a time
suggested by your tutor, use the SOUL forum, or email your tutor. Many tutors also have consultation times you can
book in advance – use the Learner Portal to book a 30-minute consultation on your own or in a group if you prefer.
Remember to read instructions carefully, more than once, and don’t guess, ask!

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