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Diagram this argument.
Since Mary visited a realtor and her
bank’s mortgage department, she
must be planning on buying a home.
Step 1. Number each statement
and note each indicator word.
Since (1) Mary visited a realtor and (2) her
bank’s mortgage department, (3) she
must be planning on buying a home.
Go to next slide.
Since (1) Mary visited a realtor and (2)
her bank’s mortgage department, (3)
she must be planning on buying a
home.
Step 2. Which of the claims is the
conclusion? Which are premises?
(1)
Premise.
Note the
indicator word,
“Since.”
(2)
Premise.
Go to next slide.
(3)
Conclusion.
Since (1) Mary visited a realtor and (2) her bank’s
mortgage department, (3) she must be planning on
buying a home.
Step 3. Use arrows to represent the intended
relationship between the claims.
(1)
(2)
(3)
In this case the premises are
independent. Even though the
combined force of both premises
makes the argument stronger,
either premise could stand alone
in supporting the conclusion.
Go to next slide for another example
Argument Diagramming Sample #2
Sandra can’t register for her classes on Wednesday.
After all, Sandra is a sophomore and sophomore
registration begins on Thursday.
Step #1. Identify each claim and note any indicator
words that might help identify premise(s) and
conclusion(s).
(1) Sandra can’t register for her classes on
Wednesday. After all, (2) Sandra is a sophomore
and (3) sophomore registration begins on
Thursday.
Go to next slide.
“After all” is generally
a premise indicator.
(1) Sandra can’t register for her classes on
Wednesday. After all, (2) Sandra is a sophomore
and (3) sophomore registration begins on
Thursday.
This “and” serves to join
two different claims.
Go to next slide.
Step #2. Use arrows to show the relationships
between the claims in the argument.
Decide whether
the premises are
independent,
(2)
or linked.
(2)
(+)
(3)
(3)
(1)
(1)
These are linked premises
since both (in conjunction) are
necessary to prove the conclusion.
For another example go to the next slide.
Pool maintenance can cost hundreds of dollars a year
and we really don’t have that kind of money. So, I
don’t think we should put a pool in this summer.
Besides, pools pose a real drowning danger to small
children.
Step #1. The first task is to analyze the argument.
Decide what the various claims are and begin to
decide which are premises and which are conclusions.
Number the claims and note any indicator words.
Go to next slide.
Note the “and”
connecting two
claims.
(1) Pool maintenance can cost hundreds of
dollars a year and (2) we really don’t have
that kind of money. So, (3) I don’t think we
should put a pool in this summer. Besides,
(4) pools pose a real drowning danger to
small children.
Go to next slide.
“So” is a
conclusion
indicator.
A premise
indicator.
Step #2. Use arrows to represent the argument.
(1) (+) (2)
(4)
(3)
Premises 1 and 2 are
linked. While premise 1
could stand alone, premise 2
can’t.
Premise 4 is independent.
It could be offered alone as
support for the conclusion.
Go to the next slide.
You’ve often complained that mainstream television
doesn’t have quality programming, so I think you
should support public broadcasting. Besides, you
watch PBS all the time and fair is fair. Since support
means money, you should write a check to PBS
immediately.
Step #1. As before, concentrate on analyzing the
various claims. Use numbers to identify them
and note any indicator words.
Go to the next slide.
This argument is more complex, but the same skills
apply. What is the intended conclusion of the
argument? How do the various parts of the argument
work to provide support for this conclusion?
(1)You’ve often complained that mainstream
television doesn’t have quality programming, so (2) I
think you should support public broadcasting.
Besides (3), you watch PBS all the time and (4) fair
is fair. Since (5) support means money, (6) you
should write a check to PBS immediately.
Go to the next slide.
You can start diagramming from anywhere. Keep
trying different arrangements until your diagram best
represents the intended meaning of the argument.
The indicator “so”
shows claim 2 to be a
conclusion and 1
seems to support this
conclusion.
(1)
(3) (+) (4)
(2)
Go To Next Slide
Claims 3 and 4
offer another
reason that 2 is
true.
(1)
(3) (+) (4)
(2) (+) (5)
Claim 2, which says
you should support
PBS, combines with
claim 5 which
defines support as
money, to support
the final conclusion
6.
(6)
What about claims 5 and 6?
The “since” before 5 marks
this as a premise but for
which conclusion? Context
and experience tell us that
this is a premise supporting
claim 6.
End of Tutorial