GMAS 8th Grade ELA Practice Test

Backing up a claim with evidence means giving support for your statement by citing facts, data, or examples. In reasoning or writing, a claim is your position or argument, and evidence are the pieces that prove it or make it credible. Providing evidence helps readers see where your idea comes from and why it matters.

Explain is about clarifying how or why something happens. Describe is about detailing what something looks or feels like. Infer is about drawing a conclusion from clues, not supplying the actual proof.

So, the term that means to back up a claim with evidence is to provide support. For example, if you say a character is brave, you support that by pointing to specific actions the character takes under danger.