Since there is no survival value in an animal's having an organ that is able to function when all its other organs ha...

Victoria on May 11, 2021

Hi @bridget18,

Happy to help!

The main point (or conclusion) of the argument is the point that all other points outlined in the argument are used to support.

This is a skill that will come with practice, but there are two general tips which can help with distinguishing between premises and conclusions.

First, there are certain indicator words which often precede premises and conclusions.

Words that indicate premise: since, because, given that, for, for the reason that, in that, as indicated by, may be inferred from, as, etc.

Words that indicate conclusion: therefore, hence, thus, consequently, it follows that, so, accordingly, we may infer, for this reason, as a result, etc.

Second, the above indicator words will not always be present. Make sure that you develop your skills in diagramming arguments and understanding conclusions for those examples where there is no indicator word. To practice this, try arranging the sentences in different orders. Does it make more sense to say that Sentence A supports Sentence B, or vice versa?

For example, all carrots are vegetables. Suzie is holding a carrot. Suzie is holding a vegetable.

Option 1

P: Suzie is holding a carrot
P: Suzie is holding a vegetable
C: All carrots are vegetables

We cannot draw this conclusion from this information. We know that Suzie is holding a carrot and that Suzie is holding a vegetable, but this tells us nothing about the relationship between carrots and vegetables.

Option 2

P: Suzie is holding a vegetable
P: All carrots are vegetables
C: Suzie is holding a carrot

This eliminates the issue above in that we now know that carrots are vegetables, and that Suzie is holding a vegetable. However, we cannot properly draw this conclusion based on the information we are provided with. We know that carrots are vegetables, but the premise does not say that only carrots are vegetables. It is entirely possible that Suzie is holding a broccoli or a cauliflower.

Option 3

P: Suzie is holding a carrot
P: All carrots are vegetables
C: Suzie is holding a vegetable

Notice how the conclusion follows naturally from the premises. We learn that Suzie is holding a carrot and we learn that all carrots are vegetables. Therefore, we can conclude that, because Suzie is holding a carrot (which is a vegetable), Suzie must be holding a vegetable.

Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any further questions.

michael19862004@gmail.com on June 7, 2021

I'll be honest I am still lost