Identifying Arguments

Which of the following statements is an argument?

• Vending machines stocked with soda or candy should be removed from all public schools.

• Star Wars is the best movie ever.

• We’d better leave now. If we don’t, we might miss the last train and we’ll be stuck here all night.

Which of the following statements is an argument?

• The woman in the hat is not a witch since witches have long noses, and she doesn’t have a long nose.

• First, I washed the dishes, and then I dried them.

• Albert isn’t a fireman, and he isn’t a fisherman either.

Which of the following statements is an argument?

• Are you seeing that rhinoceros over there? It is huge!

• I have been wrangling cattle since before you were old enough to tie your own shoes.

• Charlie and Violet are dogs since dogs don’t sweat, and Charlie and Violet don’t sweat.

Which of the following statements is an argument?

• So it is raining heavily, and I have to walk home. But I don't really care.

• Bill will pay the ransom. After all, he loves his wife and children and would do everything to save them.

• For a long time, astronomers suspected that Europa, one of Jupiter's many moons, might harbor a watery ocean beneath its ice-covered surface. They were right.

Which of the following statements is an argument?

• I woke up this morning, and then took a shower and got dressed. After breakfast, I studied for class.

• We all know that the hands of a clock rotate to the right. But have you ever wondered why they go around that way instead of the other way?

• Bruce is either in Hong Kong or Macau. John says that Bruce is not in Hong Kong. So, Bruce must be in Macau

Which of the following statements is an argument?

• Jones has served in the U.S. Senate for twelve years and has extensive experience in foreign affairs; therefore, you should support him for president.

• Jones has served in the U.S. Senate for twelve years and has extensive experience in foreign affairs.

• Scientific discoveries are continually debunking religious myths. Further, science provides the only hope for solving the many problems faced by humankind.

Which of the following statements is an argument?

• John, do you think that Picasso was a painter or a writer? Please answer this question. Why don't you answer me? John, were you listening?

• The Atlanta Braves won the World Series in 1995. In total, they've won 3 championships.

• John must have dropped out of school because he is no longer included on the list of enrolled students.

Which of the following statements is an argument?

• Medicines are used after one has already developed some form of the disease.

• We don’t have to wait until we get heart disease to exercise and eat right.

• Since medicines are usually expensive, money is better spent on heart disease prevention by promoting exercise and good eating habits.

Which of the following statements is an argument?

• Vote Libertarian in the next election because doing so will solve almost all the world's problems.

• We don’t have to wait until we get heart disease to exercise and eat right.

• This card can save you a lot of money.

• What time does the movie start?

Which of the following statements is an argument?

• The price of gas a rising at an astronomical rate. So, since we have a limited budget, we need to start driving less.

• Doctors should be eligible for government grants to support their work.

• Eating animals is wrong for a variety of reasons.

• Raising animals for food uses resources, like grain, that could be used to feed hungry people around the world.