| Question | Answer | | | | | | | |
| What is a characterization quest? | Just looking at the argument and trying to figure out something about it | | | | | | | |
| How do you get better at seeing argument structure? | Read for Propositions
DON'T read for sentences | | | | | | | |
| What is a proposition? | Any kind of assertion | | | | | | | |
| What structure do all arguments have? | [P] Premise
[P] Premise
(assumption)
-------------------
*conclusion | At least 1 premise and a conclusion | | | | | | |
| What is a conclusion? | Propositions supported by premises | | | | | | | |
| Premise key words? | since
because
for | as
after all
moreover | in addition
given that | | | | | |
| Conclusion key words? | therefore
thus
hence | so
as a result
consequently | It follows that
it is clear that | | | | | |
| What are assumptions? | claims not explicitly stated | must be true for conclusion to be inferred from the premises | | | | | | |
| Steps to breaking down arguments? | locate [underline] the conclusion | find the relevant premises
-What conclusion o they support | ID any assumptions in the argument | | | | | |
| How does a conclusion become necessarily true? | When both premises are true | Conclusion can be "logically inferred" from the conjunction of two premises | | | | | | |
| What does it mean when an argument is "valid"? | Conclusion of an argument can be logically inferred from its premises | | | | | | | |
| Game plan for figuring out "main pt." of a characterization quest.? | **Look for conclusion indicators
-Conclusion/premise key words
-Author's attitude shift [but, however, etc. ]
+Any presence of author’s attitude can be indicative of a conclusion [even if it’s not a shift] | -prescriptive statement [should, ought, etc]
-proposed explanation for phenomenon | **Answer check
-Is it in the stimulus?[yes]
-is it supported by something else in the stimulus?[yes]
-does it support something else in the stimulus?[no] | | | | | |
| Example prompts for "main pt." quests.? | "Which one of the following is the [main pt.] of the argument?" | "Which one of the following most accurately expresses the [conclusion] of the argument?" | | | | | | |
| How do role quests. work? | **they pt. you to part of stimulus
-we have to figure out what role it plays | | | | | | | |
| Role quest. game plan? | 1. what are they telling you to ID in stimulus?
--bracket that statement | 2. underline conclusion and find relevant premises | 3. ID role of bracketed statement
--premise?
--conclusion?
--subsidiary conclusion?
--something else? [background info/objection to position/claim refuted by argument] | 4. pick answer choice that IDs the role w/out mischaracterizing the argument | | | | |
| Example prompts for [role] quests.? | "...most accurately describes the [role] played in the..." | "...[figures] in the argument in which of the following ways?" | | | | | | |
| [describe] quest. game plan? | 1. underline conclusion and find relevant premises | 2. if prevalent argument type[the BIG LIST]
--find answer choice that describes it w/out micharacterizing argument | 3. if not prevalent argument type
--paraphrase how premise(s) support conclusion and find answer choice that describes it w/out mischaracterizing argument | | | | | |
| How to tell if a prompt is for a Describe quest? | **Ask if they are saying [how?] | | | | | | | |
| What is an argument? | Set of propositions | 1 or more propositions intended to provide support for another proposition | | | | | | |
| What are premises? | Propositions on which an argument is based | Stated as facts | Intended to support a conclusions | | | | | |
| What are the prevalent forms of argumentation that [Describe] questions use [BIG LIST]? | **Rejecting Alternatives
--req. premise that says I have to do one of 2 things
--premises that reject or eliminate some of your choices | **Applying a General Principle
--rule/law
--premise that says the rule is happening now so we have to follow what the rule says now | **Appealing to an Authority
--expert on subject | **Using a Counterexample
--has to be claim that they're going against in the argument | **Making an Apology
--req premise that 2 things have something in common
--premises that something is true about 1 of 2 things | **Using a Line of Reasoning to Draw an Absurd Conclusion (generally 2nd perspective) | **Proposing an Alternative Cause for an Observed Effect
**Undermining a Premise or Conclusion (generally 2nd Perspective) | **Offering New Evidence/ Challenging an Assumption (generally 2nd perspective)
--points to assumption
**Explaining a Phenomenon |
