2 Claims, Evidence, and Assumptions Free Online FlashCards

What is a claim?

A claim is an assertion someone presents as true or worth accepting.

What is a premise?

A premise is a claim offered as a reason for accepting another claim.

Which words often signal a premise?

Words such as “because,” “since,” and “given that” often introduce premises.

What counts as evidence in an argument?

Evidence is information used to support a claim or premise; it can include observations, measurements, records, examples, or testimony.

What three qualities help evaluate evidence?

Assess whether the evidence is accurate, relevant, and sufficient.

What is an assumption in an argument?

An assumption is a claim an argument depends on without explicitly asserting it.

How can you locate a possible unstated assumption?

State the conclusion and explicit premises, then ask why those premises should make the conclusion more likely. Identify the unstated idea connecting them.

How can you test a suspected assumption?

Ask whether the argument would weaken if the suspected assumption were false, and what further information could support or challenge it.

Does finding an assumption automatically refute an argument?

Identifying an assumption does not automatically refute an argument; it shows what else must be considered to assess it fairly.

What is an argument’s conclusion?

The conclusion is the claim that the argument’s reasons are intended to support.

What roles can a claim play?

A claim may be a conclusion, a supporting reason, or a statement outside an argument.

Which words often signal a conclusion?

Words such as “therefore,” “so,” and “thus” often signal a conclusion.