The topic sentence below is...This next paragraph explains how many American households have at least one pet.Strong: ClaimWeak: Not a Claim

Analysis of the Topic Sentence

1. Identifying the Nature of the Sentence: A topic sentence usually establishes the main idea or claim of a paragraph. In this case, the sentence discusses the prevalence of pets in American households.

2. Claim Assessment:

   • A strong claim states a position or argument that can be supported by evidence. A claim about the number of American households that have at least one pet can be substantiated by statistics or surveys showing pet ownership trends.
   • A weak claim, on the other hand, lacks assertiveness or specificity. Simply stating that many American households have a pet without any supporting data or context weakens its impact.

3. Conclusion: The topic sentence, as it stands, could be interpreted as making a claim about pet ownership. Therefore, it leans more toward the “Strong: Claim” designation because it introduces a specific assertion about pet ownership in American households.

Final Answer

Strong: Claim - The topic sentence makes an assertion that can likely be supported by data regarding pet ownership among American households.