An argument is a fact or statement or set of statements in which a particular point of view is expressed, expressing various viewpoints for or against something, as defined in the statement and argument section. Argumentation is a crucial aspect of reasoning since all forms of issues from analytical reasoning, such as inferences, assumptions, course of action, syllogism, and so on, are connected to argumentation in some manner. This is why arguments are said to be the “backbone” of analytical reasoning questions.

What exactly is ‘argument’?

An argument is a group of assertions that includes at least the following elements:

The main conclusion: This is a claim that communicates what the person making the argument is attempting to persuade us to believe a fact, regardless of whether or not it is true.

Evidence: The arguer gives these claims, also known as premises or support, in order to demonstrate to us that the conclusion or the fact is correct. The evidence essentially responds to the inquiry, “Why do you think [the fact] to be true?” Usually, the simplest arguments include only one piece of evidence, but more complicated arguments will have multiple.

Types of Arguments

There are two sorts of arguments.

1. Strong Argument: If an argument touches on the actual and real element of the issue as expressed in the statement, it is said to be powerful. It is supported by reasoning and facts that are relevant to the circumstance.
2. Weak Argument: If an argument isn’t directly connected to the supplied assertion and doesn’t address all of the arguments made in the given statement, it’s considered weak. A weak argument is one that is modest in relevance or is connected to a minor feature of the assertion.

When selecting a strong argument, the following factors should be considered:

1. A strong argument should provide a realistic assessment of the facts or the circumstances presented in the statement.
2. Within the statement, a powerful argument should provide a detailed examination of the issue.
3. A strong argument should be related to the statement and backed up by facts or well-known ideas.
4. A strong argument should never be only a reiteration of the statement’s condition.

Types of Questions

1. Questions having one conclusion and one evidence: One primary conclusion and evidence make up the simplest arguments.
2. Questions having one conclusion, evidence and intermediate conclusion: An intermediate conclusion may be included in more sophisticated arguments. This is a claim that serves as both a conclusion and evidence, often known as a subsidiary conclusion (or “sub-conclusion” in short). To put it another way, it’s a conclusion based on facts that leads to still another conclusion. As a result, the major conclusion cannot be the intermediate conclusion.
3. Questions having Conclusion, evidence and background information: Background information is offered to “put things into perspective” and familiarise us with the scenario. In argument-based questions, one of your key aims is to rewrite an argument in its “conclusion, because support” form to make it simple. Background information seldom contains facts crucial to your capacity to execute the task.

How can we figure out what the main conclusion is?

The debate above—the one with the additional background information—shows that the conclusion is not always evident. While there is no one-size-fits-all method for determining the conclusion (due to the variability of writing and rhetoric), we can provide you with a few strategies.

Look for some specific ‘signal words’ to figure out the conclusion. 

While there’s no assurance that any word or phrase will introduce an argument’s primary conclusion—remember, many arguments include sub-conclusions!—the key terms are frequently found at the start of a conclusion sentence or clause.

• Thus
• Therefore
• Hence
• So
• Conclude
• It follows that
• As a result
• Clearly
• Obviously
• Nevertheless
• Nonetheless

When these terms appear in an argument, they may frequently provide a decent starting point for locating the major conclusion quickly.

How to figure out what the relevant evidence is?

Continue to ponder WHY?

When analysing an argument, it’s easy to become “lost” in words. Thus it’s a good idea to have one question in mind when locating evidence or support: “Why?” “Why does the arguer think [that conclusion]?” to put it another way.

When a claim is partially based on actual evidence and partly on speculation, it’s more difficult to “weed out” the speculation. As you address arguments in the analytical reasoning section, keep asking, “Why?”/”Because,” and you’ll start to see patterns emerge, giving you the confidence you need to confront increasingly difficult assertions. You’ll become better the more you do it!

Look for some specific ‘signal words’ to figure out the relevant evidence.

Evidence-indicating keywords are more trustworthy than conclusion-indicating keywords. The following terms, while not exhaustive, frequently suggest some form of proof, if not the primary justification for the conclusion:

• Because
• Since
• After all
• On the grounds that
• Given that
• For
• As shown by

Conclusion

In order to make the right decisions, a candidate should be able to discern between “strong” and “weak” arguments as they pertain to the problems. Also, it doesn’t matter what order the statements are written in. There is no defined sequence for the components of an argument; the conclusion, for example, might be at the start, middle, or finish, and the same is valid for any other component. Further note that we do not examine the tone or style of arguments in this way. Expect to see the argument components written in a variety of forms in different analytical reasoning questions.