Rhetorical questions play a major role in the analysis of arguments. They are defined as questions that …show more content…
It is important to consider whether the argument has its premises and conclusion. The conclusion of an argument is the basis of the argument. In other words, it is what a given person is trying to prove in his or her argument. Every argument has a point to prove, and that is the reason an analysis of an argument must identify whether the given argument has a conclusion (Lauwers 236). It is important for a reader to work out himself or herself the writer’s conclusion. When a reader does not find a conclusion during analysis, it means that the argument is baseless and has nothing to prove. Most conclusions of arguments are usually introduced by indicator words such as therefore, as a result, so, and consequently among others. Apart from identifying an argument’s conclusion, a reader should also identify the premises. During the process of finding the premises in an argument, a reader should identify the various reasons the writer has provided to back up his or her claim (Metzger 85). Premises are often introduced with words such as because, since and given that among others. A good argument should have premises as they help in supporting the writer’s claim by identifying the reasons the writer thinks his or her argument is valid. The process of analyzing arguments does not only require the identification of premises and conclusions but also identifying the premises and conclusions that the writer …show more content…
At times, some arguments may have premises that do not provide support to the conclusion as some arguers may be relying on some given assumptions (Lauwers 175). A reader must identify the assumptions to determine whether they play an essential role in providing indirect support to the conclusion. An example of an argument with an assumption is:
I have never experienced problems with my three last Samsung phones, so my new Samsung phone should be dependable.
The argument has a premise that is the arguer has never experienced any problems with his last three Samsung phones. The conclusion is that his new Samsung phone will be dependable. However, the argument cannot be dismissed since there is an existing assumption that the new phone will perform just as his previous phones since he believes Samsung Company produces dependable phones.
In some situations, the premises of an argument may not lead to the conclusion, but may be true. Such cases are referred to as invalid syllogism (Kahane and Cavender 36). An example of such an argument