CCC Paragraphs ClaimCitationCommentary What is a CCC Paragraph

CCC Paragraphs Claim/Citation/Commentary

What is a CCC Paragraph? • The CCC is a way of organizing an argument in which a writer/speaker’s assertion or claim is supported by evidence and a justification of that evidence. The purpose of the CCC form is to assure that the central assertion or argument of every paragraph (the CLAIM) is always strongly supported by the CITATION (specific evidence) and its COMMENTARY (the link between the claim and the citation, or the reason why the citation demonstrates the claim). Many CCC paragraphs have more than one citation and a commentary that justifies or explains each one.

Claim This is a statement of the topic (the main idea or focus of the paragraph) AND a specific opinion or observation about it. It is usually one sentence and is as detailed and specific as possible.

Example For instance, here is a literary example: In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado, ” the ending is foreshadowed both by Montresor’s malice and the obviously elaborate scheme that unfolds in the plot.

Citation This is a quotation, statistic, or other evidence taken from a source to support the CLAIM. It is introduced by a sentence or partial sentence that indicates how it may relate to the claim or earlier statements. This introduction is called a transition statement. It is followed by a comma if it contains a reporting verb (“he/she says, ” “the author writes, ” “Romeo whines, ” etc. ) or a semicolon if the quoted introduction is a complete idea. CITATIONS that come from research, the text of a literary work, or other documentable source should be cited parenthetically, using MLA, APA, or other appropriate or required format.

Example This example provides the data to support the claim made above: Montresor reveals the malice he feels towards Fortunato when he says, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge” (5). (Note the punctuation: the page number is inside the parentheses, and the period follows the parentheses, not the last word of the quotation. )

Commentary A commentary is the analysis of the textual evidence offered to support the claim. It includes a statement of what the quotation says if necessary and what it means. (This latter part can never be skipped or assumed. ) Moreover, the writer must demonstrate how this meaning proves the claim. A statement such as, “This quotation shows that ____ is ____, ” is never sufficient for a commentary. The writer must justify how the quotation illustrates the claim. (The use of “because” or similar analytical word will help in creating a clear commentary. ) A commentary is the actual analysis; therefore, it probably will be at least two to three sentences and should clearly prove the claim.

Commentary Note the extensive analysis (commentary) of the previous quotation (citation) in this example: Although we have no idea from the plot what injuries Montresor has experienced, we can tell by this passage that some insult has been exchanged and that Montresor means to repay Fortunato for it as well as “the thousand injuries” he has suffered. The foreboding sound of “vowed revenge” clearly suggests a deep malice. However, the use of the past tense in this opening also allows the malice to foreshadow the ending, since the use of the past tense would suggest that the ending has occurred in actual time before the narrator begins to tell his story.

How many citation/commentary sets are needed per paragraph? Often at least two, since one isolated piece of evidence (citation) does not make a good inductive proof. (Remember: Inductive arguments are proven by amassing evidence, which is tested by confirming that the evidence is sufficient, relevant, and reliable. Therefore, one example – quotation, statistic, etc. – is often insufficient and may in fact be misleading. ) In the examples above, the writer makes a claim about foreshadowing, offers supporting evidence (clear examples of Montresor’s complex plot to take revenge on Fortunato), and then justifies her claim by explaining why this complex plot suggests that the end is a foregone conclusion

Conclusion Often the commentaries are summarized, tying the analysis to thesis once more. Example: Taken together, Montresor’s opening expression of malicious intent phrased in the past tense and his obviously premeditated, complex scheme for revenge foreshadow Fortunato’s terrible death at the end of “The Cask of Amontillado. ”

Activity #1 Who are you?

Goal v Using your six word memoir, we are going to compose a CCC paragraph about a subject you should know a lot about--yourself.

Our Claim v. Look at your six word memoir. Think about what these six words reveal about your personality. v. Make a list of your personal characteristics revealed by your 6 WM. v. Choose one characteristic of yourself and state it in the form of a claim. (ex. “Looking at my six word memoir, it is clear that I’m a very shy person. ”)

Citation #1 v Since your memoir only contains six words, we will need to rely on more anecdotal evidence for our citations. v Look at the claim you made about yourself. v List evidence that supports the claim you made about yourself. (So, if your claim was that you are a shy person, what have you done, said, etc. that proves that? ) v Choose one piece of evidence from your list that you feel best proves your claim and write it in complete sentence form after your claim.

Commentary #1 v. Look at the evidence you have just chosen and think about how it proves the claim you have made about yourself. v. In at least two sentences, explain how this piece of evidence you have chose illustrates your characteristic in your claim.

Citation #2 v. Look back at your list of evidence. v. Choose another piece of evidence that you feel proves the claim you made about yourself. v. Add this to your CCC paragraph.

Commentary #2 v. Look at the evidence you have just chosen and think about how it proves the claim you have made about yourself. v. In at least two sentences, explain how this piece of evidence you have chose illustrates your characteristic in your claim.

Conclusion v. Provide a brief summary of the two pieces of evidence you have just given and reiterate how this information proves your original claim about yourself.

Activity #2 What’s in the Bag?

Directions v Our major assumption for this activity is that you can tell a lot about a person by the contents of his/her bag. v We need two volunteers who are willing to show us the contents of their purse/backpack.

Our Claim , v Now that we have our two volunteers, let’s come up with a claim about them. In your groups, come up with a statement that you feel you will be able to prove by looking at the contents of your classmates’ purses/backpacks. Structure your statement like this: v [Name of one volunteer] is more [abstract claim such as organized, nerdy, happy-go-lucky, prepared to win Survivor, vain, etc. ] than [name of other volunteer].

What’s in their bags? , v Now, let’s examine the contents of their bags. v Then, in your groups, construct a CDC paragraph that proves your original claim. For your DATA, be sure to use specific evidence from the contents of your classmates’ bags. Don’t forget the COMMENTARY—HOW does this DATA prove your original CLAIM?