A supported explanation joins three things: a claim, a figure from the data and a reason. This page shows how to build it from any table.
It belongs to the SPM Geography guide. If your answers read as lists rather than explanations, the geographical explanation help page covers the linking side.
What does this look like in real life?
A student might write: “Rainfall was high in April, which caused the river to rise.” The marker writes “evidence?” beside it. The student says: “But it is obvious.”
It feels obvious because you already know the topic. Marks go to statements that point to the data given.
Why does it happen?
Three causes are common.
- The student answers from memory and ignores the table.
- The figure is quoted without a comparison, so it says nothing.
- The reason is stated as fact even though nothing in the data supports it.
A claim, evidence and reason frame
- Claim: state the pattern in one sentence.
- Evidence: quote one or two figures with units.
- Reason: explain why, using a linking word such as because or which means.
- Limit: say what the data does not show, if the question asks for evaluation.
Worked example
This is a worked example for a fictional town.
| Month | Rainfall (mm) |
|---|---|
| January | 120 |
| February | 80 |
| March | 240 |
| April | 300 |
| May | 180 |
Claim. April had the highest rainfall of the five months.
Evidence. April recorded 300 mm, which is 1.25 times March at 240 mm (300 ÷ 240 = 1.25) and 2.5 times January at 120 mm (300 ÷ 120 = 2.5).
Reason. More rain means more water runs off the ground into rivers, so river levels are likely to be higher in April than in January.
Limit. The table shows rainfall only. River levels were not given, so a rise cannot be confirmed.
Weak to strong rewrite
| Version | Answer |
|---|---|
| Weak | “April had a lot of rain so the river rose.” |
| Better | “April had 300 mm of rain, which is the highest month.” |
| Strong | “April had 300 mm, 2.5 times January’s 120 mm, so more runoff is likely to have entered rivers. The table has no river data, so a rise is not confirmed.” |
Each step adds one thing: a figure, a comparison, a reason and an honest limit.
What can you do this week?
- Take three tables from past-style practice and write one claim-evidence-reason-limit paragraph for each.
- Underline every figure you used and check it against the table.
- Revise a weak answer with the claim, evidence and explanation revision desk.
- Practise fair comparison in the graph evidence and fair-comparison lab.
When could one-to-one tuition help?
If you still lose marks after a few weeks of this frame, a teacher can look at your paragraphs with you and show which part is missing. The lessons are online and one-to-one, built around your own answers.
See online one-to-one Geography tuition for how that works.