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Common Core ELA7th GradeSpeaking & Listening

SL.7.3: Evaluate a Speaker’s Argument

Also written as CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.3 · Cluster: Comprehension and Collaboration.

Get a Debate QuestionAll 41 7th Grade ELA Standards

The Official Wording

Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

Common Core State Standards, Grade 7, Speaking & Listening · Read it at the source · Checked October 14, 2026

What SL.7.3 Means in Plain English

Seventh graders outline a speaker’s argument claim by claim, then test each one three ways: does the reasoning hold, is the evidence about this claim, and is there enough of it? One cousin who reads more on a tablet is relevant evidence, just nowhere near enough.

Sixth graders (SL.6.3) sort a speaker’s claims into supported and unsupported. Seventh grade weighs the support itself: sound or faulty reasoning, relevant or off-point evidence, enough or too little. Eighth grade (SL.8.3) adds catching the moment a speaker slips in irrelevant evidence.

SL.7.3 I Can Statements

  • I can outline a speaker’s argument and each claim in it.
  • I can judge whether a speaker’s reasoning actually holds up.
  • I can tell if evidence is on point and if there’s enough.

SL.7.3 Worked Example

One classmate’s two-minute pitch, two evaluations of it, and only one weighs the evidence instead of counting it.

Prompt

Ana’s talk to the class: “Our school should switch from paper textbooks to tablets. First, it would save money. Six textbooks cost about $600 per student, and one tablet costs $300. Second, students would read more. My cousin got a tablet last year, and now she reads every night. Third, tablets would lighten our backpacks. When our class weighed backpacks last week, the average was 18 pounds, and textbooks made up most of it. Tablets are the future, and everyone uses screens now.” Outline Ana’s argument and evaluate it.

Not YetAna had a really strong argument, because she gave three reasons and a lot of facts and numbers. I agree that backpacks are way too heavy. She convinced me.It counts the reasons instead of weighing them, and it judges the talk by whether the listener agrees. No claim is outlined, and no piece of evidence is tested.
Meets the StandardAna claims our school should switch to tablets, and she backs it with three reasons. The money reason is relevant, but the math leaves things out, like chargers, repairs and broken screens, so it isn’t enough yet. The reading claim rests on one cousin. That’s relevant, but one person can’t prove all students would read more. The backpack claim is her strongest, because our class measured the weight ourselves. Her ending, that everyone uses screens now, isn’t evidence at all, just a reason to follow the crowd.It outlines the overall claim and the three reasons, then tests each one: relevant but incomplete, relevant but too thin, relevant and sufficient. It also names the closing line as faulty reasoning rather than support.
Moves to Use
Outline first: the overall claim, then each specific claim under it, numbered.Ask whether each piece of evidence is about this claim or about something nearby.Ask whether there is enough: one person or one number rarely proves a claim about everyone.Test the reasoning: does the conclusion follow, or did the speaker leave something out?Rank the claims from strongest to weakest and say why.

Common Mistakes with SL.7.3

Judging by agreement

“She convinced me, because backpacks really are heavy.”

Try this: Have students evaluate one argument they agree with and one they reject, using the same relevance and sufficiency questions for both.

Counting evidence instead of weighing it

“Three reasons and lots of numbers, so it’s a strong argument.”

Try this: Ask of every piece of evidence, “Does this prove the claim for everyone, or only for one person or one case?”

Calling every weak spot “no evidence”

“The cousin part has no evidence,” when the cousin is the evidence, just too little of it

Try this: Post the three tests as separate columns, sound reasoning, relevant, sufficient, so students name exactly which test a claim fails.

Where SL.7.3 Fits

Comes BeforeSL.6.3Trace a speaker’s argument and tell supported claims from unsupported ones.
AlongsideRI.7.8Trace and evaluate an argument in a text, with the same tests of reasoning and evidence.W.7.1Write arguments with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, the standard students now hold speakers to.
Comes NextSL.8.3Evaluate the same way, and also spot the point where a speaker brings in irrelevant evidence.

Practice SL.7.3

Random Name PickerFree ToolAfter a talk, spin for a listener to outline the speaker’s claims, then spin again for someone to name the weakest one and say why.Outline the claimsName the weakest
Spin a Name

Quick Check

  1. What is Ana’s overall claim, and what are her three specific claims?
  2. Why is the cousin story relevant but not sufficient?
  3. Why does the strong evaluation call the backpack claim Ana’s strongest?

SL.7.3: Other Names

SL.7.3CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.3

Common Core State Standards © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved. Official wording from the Common Core State Standards PDFs at corestandards.org, last checked October 14, 2026. The explanation, I can statements, example, mistakes and practice on this page are EMStudio’s own, written beside the official wording. They are not part of the standard.