IDENTIFYING ELEMENTS OF THE ARGUMENT FOR CR QUESSTIONS

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Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
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If one is able to identify conclusion and premises, then solving CR questions such as Find the Assumption questions becomes easy.

Identifying elements of an argument
A formal argument is comprised of three basic elements: premises, assumptions, and conclusions. The premise is the argument's support that is explicitly stated, and assumptions comprise the support that is implicit or taken for granted. In other words, a stated premise backs up the argument's conclusion, while assumptions provide logically necessary connections between the stated premise and the stated claims. The conclusion is the core assertion-the thrust of the argument.
Consider the following example:
Barry Bonds hit more home-runs during his career than did any other player in the history of baseball. Therefore, Barry Bonds is the greatest hitter of all time.
Let's break this argument down into its essential elements:
Conclusion: Barry Bonds is the greatest hitter of all time.
Premise: Barry Bonds hit more home-runs during his career than did any other player in the history of baseball.
Assumption: The person that has hit the most home-runs in his career can be considered the greatest hitter of all time.
Notice that the unstated assumption here provides a logical link between the stated premise and the stated conclusion.

Identifying premise
Premise is any explicitly stated statement that is provided in support of an argument. It is important to note that, unless stated otherwise, premise is irrefutable. That is, we have to assume that any facts or statements given in support of an argument are true.