Arguments & Reasoning
📋 What it is
An argument is a set of reasons (premises) offered to support a conclusion — not a fight.
🗣️ Coach says
In logic an “argument” isn’t shouting — it’s reasons leading to a conclusion. The premises are the “because” parts; the conclusion is the “so” part. Find the “so” and you’ve found what someone is trying to convince you of.
🧠 Memory hook
Premises are the “because”. The conclusion is the “so”. Find the “so” first.
😂 Giggle
Why did the logician refuse to eat lunch?
Because the sign said "Free lunch" and they knew there's no such thing as a free lunch — that's a hasty generalization!
😲 Whoa!
The study of arguments is over 2,300 years old — Aristotle wrote the first logic textbook around 350 BCE and people still use his rules today.
✅ Quick check: “It’s cloudy, and clouds often bring rain, so take an umbrella.” Name the conclusion.
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
The conclusion is “take an umbrella” — it’s the part the two reasons (cloudy; clouds bring rain) support.
The conclusion is what the premises are offered to justify; the “so” signals it.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Find any “because… so…” sentence in a book or ad. Underline the premise once and the conclusion twice.