One of the main reasons that Jamestown settlers struggled to survive was that they were not used to physical labor.
spent too much time looking for the Roanoke colonists.
befriended the Powhatan people.
listened to John Smith’s faulty advice.

were not used to physical labor

Logical Arguments

Anything you read that includes an attempt to persuade you to think a certain way is likely to include logical argument as part of that persuasion.

The text below introduces the idea of premises and conclusions. As you view this, think about the relationship of premises and conclusions as they align with main ideas and supporting evidence in paragraphs that we explored earlier in this module.

Elements of an Argument

ARGUMENTATION VOCABULARY

Claim: a statement or opinion that is either true or false

Argument: a claim supported by premises

Conclusion: the main claim in an argument

Premises: claims that support and argument’s conclusion

A claim is an assertion about the truth, existence, or value of something that is either true or false. Claims are also called statements or propositions.

When supported by premises, a claim becomes a conclusion. For example:

This class is easy.

The Detroit Lions have the potential to make the NFL playoffs.

This chemical structure is unstable.

Democratic socialism is superior to a pure democracy.

An argument is an assertion that contains both a conclusion and premises. It is a statement of fact or opinion that is based on evidence. Keep in mind that not all statements are arguments, and some statements may contain multiple arguments.