How to Analyze an Argument

To analyze an argument, you must be able to understand, analyze, and evaluate arguments according to specific instructions and to convey your evaluation clearly in writing. You must be able to critically examine the author's line of reasoning and the use of evidence. 

After reading the argument, ask yourself the following questions:

• What is offered as evidence, support, or proof?
• What is explicitly stated, claimed, or concluded?
• What is assumed or supposed, perhaps without justification or proof?
• What is not stated, but necessarily follows from or under lies what is stated?

When analyzing an argument, you should recognize the author's line of reasoning. You should be able to recognize the separate implicit steps in the thinking process and consider whether the movement from each step to the next is logically sound. Look for transition words and phrases that show that the author is making logical connections. Look for some of the following transition words:

• however
• thus
• therefore
• evidently
• hence
• in conclusion

When you first read the author's argument, you need to distinguish between facts and opinion. Here are 10 questions that can help you:

1. What is author's conclusion?
2. What premises does the author provide to support this conclusion?
3. What assumptions are required for the author's argument to be valid?
4. Do the premises seem uncontroversially true?
5. Do the assumptions seem uncontroversially true?
6. Are all terms in the argument adequately defined?
7. Are there other facts that would be helpful to know in evaluating the argument?
8. Does the author appeal to emotion or use words designed to influence our response?
9. Does a logical conclusion follow the argument?
10. Is the argument sound?