Lesson: Critical/Logical Reasoning - 09t01

Let Context Be Your Guide

It's important to keep in mind that a statement by itself isn't a conclusion or evidence. In fact, depending on the context of the surrounding text, the same sentence can be a conclusion in one argument, and evidence in another.

To prove this, try this little exercise. In the following arguments, identify the function of the bolded statement, My apartment is a mess. When you have the answer, click Continue.

My apartment is a mess. I haven't done laundry in a month. My refrigerator is empty. I'm the world's worst housekeeper.

Countinue

In this argument, My apartment is a mess is evidence, together with a lot of laundry and an empty refrigerator, for the conclusion that this writer is a bad housekeeper. You can confirm that the first three sentences in this argument are evidence because they provide an answer to the question "Why is this person a bad housekeeper?"

Next to display next topic in the chapter.