Question

Put the following arguments into standard form. Break up the premises and form chains of arguments wherever this can be done without distorting the argument. Then diagram the argument. 1. I know that Pat can't be a father, because she is not a male. So she can't be a grandfather either. 2. Either Jack is a fool or Mary is a crook, because she ended up with all of his money. 3. Our team can't win this Saturday, both because they are not going to play, and because they are no good, so they wouldn't win even if they did play. 4. Mercury is known to be the only metal that is liquid at room temperature, so a pound of mercury would be liquid in this room, which is at room temperature, and it would also conduct electricity, since all metals do. Therefore, some liquids do conduct electricity. 5. Since he won the lottery, he's rich and lucky, so he'll probably do well in the stock market, too, unless his luck runs out. 6. Joe is not a freshman, since he lives in a fraternity, and freshmen are not allowed to live in fraternities. He also can't be a senior, since he has not declared a major, and every senior has declared a major. And he can't be a junior, because I never met him before today, and I would have met him before now if he were a junior. So Joe must be a sophomore. 7. Since many newly emerging nations do not have the capital resources necessary for sustained growth, they will continue to need help from industrial nations to avoid mass starvation.

   Put the following arguments into standard form. Break up the premises and form chains of arguments wherever this can be done without distorting the argument. Then diagram the argument.
1. I know that Pat can't be a father, because she is not a male. So she can't be a grandfather either.
2. Either Jack is a fool or Mary is a crook, because she ended up with all of his money.
3. Our team can't win this Saturday, both because they are not going to play, and because they are no good, so they wouldn't win even if they did play.
4. Mercury is known to be the only metal that is liquid at room temperature, so a pound of mercury would be liquid in this room, which is at room temperature, and it would also conduct electricity, since all metals do. Therefore, some liquids do conduct electricity.
5. Since he won the lottery, he's rich and lucky, so he'll probably do well in the stock market, too, unless his luck runs out.
6. Joe is not a freshman, since he lives in a fraternity, and freshmen are not allowed to live in fraternities. He also can't be a senior, since he has not declared a major, and every senior has declared a major. And he can't be a junior, because I never met him before today, and I would have met him before now if he were a junior. So Joe must be a sophomore.
7. Since many newly emerging nations do not have the capital resources necessary for sustained growth, they will continue to need help from industrial nations to avoid mass starvation.
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Cengage Advantage Books: Understanding Arguments: An Introduction to Informal Logic
Cengage Advantage Books: Understanding Arguments: An Introduction to Informal Logic
Walter… 9th Edition
Chapter 5, Problem 2 ↓
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Put the following arguments into standard form. Break up the premises and form chains of arguments wherever this can be done without distorting the argument. Then diagram the argument. 1. I know that Pat can't be a father, because she is not a male. So she can't be a grandfather either. 2. Either Jack is a fool or Mary is a crook, because she ended up with all of his money. 3. Our team can't win this Saturday, both because they are not going to play, and because they are no good, so they wouldn't win even if they did play. 4. Mercury is known to be the only metal that is liquid at room temperature, so a pound of mercury would be liquid in this room, which is at room temperature, and it would also conduct electricity, since all metals do. Therefore, some liquids do conduct electricity. 5. Since he won the lottery, he's rich and lucky, so he'll probably do well in the stock market, too, unless his luck runs out. 6. Joe is not a freshman, since he lives in a fraternity, and freshmen are not allowed to live in fraternities. He also can't be a senior, since he has not declared a major, and every senior has declared a major. And he can't be a junior, because I never met him before today, and I would have met him before now if he were a junior. So Joe must be a sophomore. 7. Since many newly emerging nations do not have the capital resources necessary for sustained growth, they will continue to need help from industrial nations to avoid mass starvation.
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Key Concepts

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Argument Diagramming
Argument diagramming is a visual technique used to represent the structure of an argument. Diagrams often take the form of flowcharts or trees that show how premises connect to each other and lead to the conclusion, making the logical relationships transparent and easier to evaluate.
Standard Form Argument
This concept involves reorganizing an argument into a clear, structured format where each premise is distinctly stated and the conclusion is clearly identified. The goal is to eliminate ambiguity by laying out the logical relationships explicitly, making it easier to analyze the argument’s validity and soundness.
Premise Extraction
Premise extraction is the process of identifying and isolating all the basic assumptions or statements that provide support for the conclusion. This step is vital for clarifying the argument’s logical structure and is often the first step when putting an argument into standard form.
Chain of Reasoning
A chain of reasoning refers to a sequence of linked inferences where one statement leads logically to the next. This concept is important in understanding how sub-arguments or intermediate conclusions are connected, and how they collectively support the ultimate conclusion.
Logical Connectives and Structures
This concept involves recognizing and correctly interpreting logical connectives such as 'because', 'either/or', 'if...then', and 'unless'. Understanding these connectives is essential for accurately reconstructing, analyzing, and representing the logical relationships within the argument.

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10. Argument Forms in Ordinary Language Indicate the argument form for each of the following arguments. Argument 1: If Rome was founded in a day, then so was Syracuse. Since Rome was founded in a day, so was Syracuse. Form of Argument 1? Modus ponens Argument 2: If fate controls your destiny, then free will is an illusion; but if fate does not control your destiny, then life is what you make of it. Fate either does or does not control your destiny. Therefore, either free will is an illusion, or life is what you make of it. Form of Argument 2? Argument 3: If Barack Obama is the 44th president of the United States, then it follows that he is an American citizen. Since Barack Obama is an American citizen, it follows that Barack Obama is president of the United States. Form of Argument 3? Modus ponens Argument 4: If the United States has a queen, then the United States is a monarchy; and if the United States is a democracy, then it has an elected leader. Either the United States is not a monarchy, or the United States does not have an elected leader. Therefore, either the United States is not a monarchy, or the United States is not a democracy. Form of Argument 4? Argument 5: Either disease was the cause of dinosaur extinction, or an asteroid impact was the cause of dinosaur extinction. Since it is false that disease was the cause of dinosaur extinction, it follows that an asteroid impact was the cause of dinosaur extinction. Form of Argument 5? Disjunctive syllogism Argument 6: If alien abduction accounts are truthful, then extraterrestrial life exists. But alien abduction accounts are untruthful. Therefore, extraterrestrial life does not exist. Form of Argument 6? Denying the antecedent Argument 7: If carbon is the lightest chemical element, then carbon has an atomic number of 1. But carbon does not have an atomic number of 1. Therefore, carbon is not the lightest chemical element. Form of Argument 7?

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