LANGUAGE & IDEAS / LANGUAGE LAB
One small word. A different claim.
Compare these two sentences:
Some learners find this task difficult.
All learners find this task difficult.
“Some” leaves room for variation. “All” makes a claim about every member of the group. The second sentence therefore carries a broader evidential burden.
Try it with your own writing
- Find a sentence containing “all”, “always” or “never”.
- Ask what evidence would justify that scope.
- If the evidence is narrower, revise the claim to match it.
Do not weaken every sentence automatically. A precise universal statement can be justified. The task is to make the wording fit the meaning and evidence you actually have.
Original TeachBox language explanation and illustrative examples. This is guidance about claim scope, not a report of a research finding.