More on Understanding Args

Some students asked for more arguments that they could practice converting into a formal premise/conclusion format, so here they are. These are a little easier than the ones we did in class--more like what you'll see on the quiz. To check your answers, email me or write your answers in a comment to this post, and I'll let you know how you did.

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1. Fairdale will win the championship because they have the best team.

2. Since the housing market is depressed and interest rates are low, it's a good time to buy a home.

3. China is guilty of extreme human rights abuses. Further, they refuse to implement democratic reforms. Thus, the U.S. should refuse to deal with the present Chinese government.

4. The revocation of the 55 mph speed limit has resulted in an increased number of auto fatalities. So we must alleviate this problem with stricter speed limit enforcement.

5. We may infer that the U. S. military is both capable and competent from the results of the Persian Gulf War.

6. Scientific discoveries are continually debunking religious myths. Further, science provides the only hope for solving the many problems faced by humankind. Hence, science provides a more accurate view of human life than does religion.

7. Jesse is one year old. Most one-year-olds can walk. It follows that Jesse can walk.

8. I deserve a raise. After all, I'm very good at my job.

9. We must resist all effort to allow the government to censor entertainment. Freedom of speech and expressions are essential to a democratic form of government. As soon as we allow some censorship, it won't be long before censorship will be used to silence the opinions critical of the government. The next thing we know, we will have no more freedom than the Germans did under Hitler.

10. Maebe is probably sick today, since she did not show up for work. And she has never missed work unless she was sick.

11. The United States, as the most powerful nation in the world, has a moral obligation to give assistance to people who are subjected to inhumane treatment. The ethnic Albanians were being persecuted in Kosovo. This is why it was proper for the U.S. to become involved in the air campaign against Kosovo.

12. The last person we hired from Bayview Tech turned out to be a bad employee, so I'm not willing to hire anybody else from that school again.

13. Since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved. For of men it may generally be affirmed that they are thankless, fickle, false, studious to avoid danger, greedy of gain, devoted to you while you confer benefits upon them, and ready, while the need is remote, to shed their blood, and sacrifice their property, their lives, and their children for you. But, when danger comes near they turn against you. (from Machiavelli's The Prince)

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Hat tip: I took examples 1-8 (with some revisions) from Beth Rosdatter's website, and examples 9-13 (with some revisions) from Jon Young's website.