How do we identify an argument?
Identify a conclusion and the reasons offered to support it.
Prepared for Polaris · Original introductory content · Read & practice
Understand the idea
An argument offers premises in support of a conclusion. Not every forceful statement is an argument, and argument need not mean a quarrel. Ask what the writer wants you to accept and what reasons support it. Words like “because” and “therefore” can help, but the relationship matters more than the words.
Next examine assumptions. “The library is crowded, so it should expand” assumes expansion addresses the problem and is preferable to suitable alternatives. The conclusion might be reasonable, but testing assumptions improves the discussion.
The idea in an example
“Every book on this shelf is on loan. This book is on the shelf. Therefore it is on loan.” The first two statements are premises; the third is the conclusion. We can then check whether the premises are true.
Test the idea. Understand why.
Put it in your own words.
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