Evidence supports an explanation when it directly shows the claim. The pattern is claim, evidence, link: say it, prove it, then say how the proof works.
This lesson is part of close reading and evidence in the SPM Bible Knowledge learning guide. The passage is original, written for practice.
The original passage
“The harvest was poor that year. Ravi, a farmer, poured a measure of his own seed into each neighbour’s hand, though his sack was half empty. ‘Plant it,’ he said. ‘We will see what grows.’”
The claim
Claim: “Ravi was generous.”
The claim is general. Good evidence has to show generosity specifically, not only that Ravi is in the passage.
Choosing between quotations
| Quotation | Shows generosity? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| “Ravi, a farmer” | No | It says who he is, not what he does |
| “The harvest was poor that year” | No | It is background |
| “poured a measure of his own seed into each neighbour’s hand” | Yes | It shows giving to each neighbour |
| “though his sack was half empty” | Yes | It shows he gave even with less to spare |
The last two work together. The first shows the act, and the second shows the cost.
Writing the full explanation
“Ravi was generous. He ‘poured a measure of his own seed into each neighbour’s hand’, which shows he shared with everyone. The passage adds that his sack was ‘half empty’, so he gave even though he had less to spare.”
The answer has a claim in the first sentence, evidence in the second and third, and the link written in words such as “which shows” and “so”.
The mistake of decorative evidence
A typical weak answer quotes something true that does not prove the claim: “Ravi was generous because he was a farmer and the harvest was poor.” It contains two quotations from the passage, but neither shows generosity.
Test each quotation by removing it. If the claim is just as well supported without it, the quotation is decoration.
A second claim on the same passage
Try a different claim: “Ravi was hopeful.” The evidence changes. “‘Plant it,’ he said. ‘We will see what grows’” now becomes the key quotation, because it looks forward to a future harvest.
The same passage can support many claims. What matters is that each claim has its own evidence, chosen on purpose.
Check yourself
Choose the best evidence for the claim “Ravi treated the neighbours equally” and explain why in one sentence.
Answer
The best evidence is “into each neighbour’s hand”. The word “each” shows that no one was left out.
The other quotations do not show equality. “His sack was half empty” shows cost, and “Plant it” shows hope. A full answer links “each neighbour” to the claim: “This shows he gave to every neighbour in the same way.”
What to study next
Go on to explaining the relationship between two events in a passage, or review telling a paraphrase from an unsupported claim.
If you want a teacher to test your evidence choices on passages you are studying, see online one-to-one Bible Knowledge tuition, which starts with a one-hour trial class (from RM50).