48 Unit 2 Critical thinking: the basics
• Some arguments have intermediate
conclusions that lead on to a main
conclusion.
• An intermediate conclusion has its
own supporting reason(s). It is both a
conclusion and a reason for a further
conclusion.
• Some sections of a text may not be
reasons or conclusions: they may just
introduce or provide a context – sometimes
in the form of a ‘target’ – for the argument
itself.
• Often an argument will be embedded in a
report, and needs to be extracted from the
text by converting it into direct speech.Summary
The value of analysis
Thoroughly analysing an argument is the
surest way to get a clear understanding of its
meaning and structure. It also gives you the
best chance of responding to it appropriately.
When you see its parts laid out for inspection,
and the links between them, you can quickly
spot strengths, weaknesses, gaps, and so on
which may not be at all obvious when the
argument is wrapped up in ordinary, everyday
language.
The kind of detailed analysis you have
practised in the last few pages will not always
be necessary. Once you become more skilled at
it, you will be able to recognise the main
conclusion of an argument and see the lines of
reasoning more instinctively, without having to
list and label all the parts. Listing and labelling
is the way to acquire and embed the skills.