Rhetorical terms · AP English Language, SAT Reading and Writing, ACT Reading
Warrant
Warrant: The often unstated assumption that connects evidence to a claim and explains why the evidence counts as support.
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What it means
In the Toulmin model of argument, a warrant is the principle that links data to a conclusion. If a writer argues that a restaurant is good because it is always crowded, the warrant is that popular restaurants are good. Warrants are often implied, and an argument can fail because its warrant is weak even when its evidence is accurate.
Making warrants explicit is a powerful way to strengthen your own arguments and to analyze others'.
Example
Claim: the school should ban phones in class. Evidence: test scores rose at a nearby school after a ban. Warrant: what worked at a similar school is likely to work here.
On the exam
AP Lang multiple-choice questions sometimes ask what assumption underlies an argument. In essays, stating your warrant is a natural form of commentary.
Lessons and practice questions
Related terms
- ClaimAn arguable statement a writer asks the audience to accept, supported by reasons and evidence.
- LogosAn appeal to reason through evidence, logic, data and clear chains of cause and effect.
- Line of reasoningThe logical sequence of claims that connects a thesis to its supporting evidence across an essay.