Framing vs. supporting evidence in L2 argumentative writing: a mixed-methods study of Chinese EFL learners

The findings suggest a developmental shift from "having evidence" to "using evidence well." Once writers can supply basic evidence, further gains in quality hinge less on adding types or quantity and more on selecting precise evidence, explaining it clearly, and aligning it tightly with the claim-that is, achieving functional fit and linking through explicit warrants. Instruction and assessment should therefore pivot from "whether/how much evidence" to how evidence is selected, interpreted, and embedded in the inferential chain.