Assert, claim, argue, maintain.......

Question

What're the difference among ' assert ', 'claim, 'argue' or 'maintain'?EX:   He assert [claim, argue, maintain] that he is entitled to take part in the meetings.Please tell me!!!

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

What're the difference among ' assert ', 'claim, 'argue' or 'maintain'?

EX: He assert [claim, argue, maintain] that he is entitled to take part in the meetings.

I assume you have looked at all the details in your dictionary. So, I'll just offer you a few general comments on how I 'feel' when I hear someone speak using these terms.

Let's assume the speaker is called 'Mary'.

Tom asserted that the car was red. Mary is sceptical about the truth of this.

Tom claimed that the car was red. Mary is making it clearer that she did not share this opinion.

Tom argued that the car was red. Mary is telling us that other people expressed different opinions.

Tom maintained that the car was red. Mary is telling us that other people tried to persuade Tom to change his opinion, but he wouldn't.

Best wishes, Clive

Lawyee · Answer

Wow, Clive, this was great explanation! I have never really thought of such division. Still, from a point of legal English (where all these expressions are used quite often), and I believe that the example provided by "mid" referred to legal English, the following meaning is more usual:

to "assert" = to turn to someone to inform him for the first time about the right of the person
In the abovementioned example, I believe it would be proper to use: "He asserted at the beginning of the meeting that he is entitled to take part in the meetings."

to "claim" = to demand something which the person is entitled to
In the abovementioned example, I believe it would be proper to use: "He claimed that he is entitled to take part in the meetings."

to "argue" = to strongly insist on one's own opinion that the person is entitled to something, usually by providing evidence or reasoning its opinion

In the abovementioned example, I believe it would be proper to use: "He argued that he is entitled to take part in the meetings referring to the decision of the Supreme Court."

to "maintain" = to reach a decision about a problematic issue, usually by an authority with decision-making power
In the abovementioned example, I believe it would be proper to use: "He claimed that he is entitled to take part in the meetings and the Chairman of the meeting maintained that he was right."

That is the way I would use these words.
Btw. isn't there a possibility to move a question like this to the legal English section? I only came accross this thread by a chance! I fear I have missed many interesting legal English questions this way

Mid · Answer

Thank you Clive and Lawyee!

I'd been confused these words for a long time. But now I got it!

Legal English? What does it mean? Anyway, I appreciate it^^

Clive · Answer

Hi Mid,

As a non-lawyer, I would say that 'legal English' generally refers to various English terms that are used by lawyers. Sometimes these terms are used only or almost only by lawyers. Sometimes they are common English words that are used by lawyers with a special and specific legal meaning. Non-lawyers have to be careful when trying to interpet legal English.

Hi Lawyee,

Thank you for the legal input. I hadn't considered that aspect of these terms. Would you agree with my attempt to define legal English? I was going to follow through on your request to transfer this thread to the Legal English sub-forum, but now I'm not sure if that was what Mid's query was all about.

Best wishes, Clive

Lawyee · Answer

Hi Clive, your definition is OK, I know lot much more offensive ones

You are probably right about the Mid's question. But taking into consideration the meaning of his example, it may be a legal English question in my opinion... However, I must say that people are sometimes afraid to cathegorize their questions into specific groups, so they just use the General English topic for all of them - to their own detriment, maybe the will not get all possible answers, since these questions will get lost in the flood of general English questions.
I would love to react to every legal English question but unfortunately I do not have a chance to follow all the threads at these Forums and filter the legal ones from them

That was the point of my suggestion

Assert, claim, argue, maintain.......

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