Exercise: Argument or non-argument?
 
For each of the following passages, determine whether it is an argument. After checking your answer, explain the correct answer.

 

1)

 
In order to think clearly, all students must study logic. Thus logic ought to be required of all students.

2)

 
If we return the books now, she may, by the time the due date arrives, forget that we returned them. Hence we had better wait until the last moment rather than return them now, because if she forgets about our returning them she will hold a grudge.

3)

 
If Janice arrives early, I am going to the movie.

4)

 
Once we had come to the crossing, Bill looked both ways but did not slow down. Susan saw the train coming and yelled a warning. The rest of us panicked and tried to get out of the car.

5)

 
Either you must study now or you must study later. Since you cannot study now, because you are busy, you must study later.

6)

 
Some of our friends are politically concerned and active. And given that all politically concerned and active people are intelligent, it follows that at least some of our friends must be intelligent.

7)

 
Every time he does a lab test he breaks out in hives. Lab tests must make him nervous then, because people who break out in hives do so because they are nervous.

8)

 
Bronson is an insufferable snob. In addition, he is conceited, arrogant, and miserable.

9)

 
If Ignat leaves the window open again I'll scream. Everyone knows that open windows let in flies.

10)

 
In view of the fact that all the candidates are for capital punishment, there are no acceptable candidates. The only acceptable candidate is one who promises to abolish capital punishment.

11)

 
Ignat strapped his skis onto his out-of-bounds pack, stepped into his Tubbs snowshoes, and began his ascent to the peak of Mt. Watermelon.  Digging into the crusty snow, he made his way, step by step, the the summit.  Once there, Ignat exchanged his Tubbs for his telemarks, and three-pinned his way down the mountain.