As critical thinkers, we should know how to analyse arguments clearly. This is because a complete analysis of an argument helps us to arrive at a better understanding of the meaning of the argument. The word ‘analyse’ means to dissect, or to lay bare. When we analyse an argument we want to lay bare the components of the argument. Differently put, we want to reveal the argument's structure. In order to do this, we should know how to identify premises and conclusions in arguments. This is often made easier by underlining the signal words in an argument. Signal words in an argument indicate which statements are premises and which statements are conclusions. In the first section of this chapter, I will explain the role of conclusion and premise indicators in arguments.

Identifying premises and conclusions

Arguers often supply signal words in their arguments that help us to identify their premises and conclusions. In the following example the person advancing the argument provides clues that help us to identify the conclusion of the argument:

In the example above the arguer tells us which statement is the conclusion of the argument: he or she uses the phrase ‘we can conclude that’. Such phrases or expressions serve as clues to identify the conclusion of an argument and we call them conclusion indicators.

The following words and phrases usually signal conclusions:

Let us look at another example where the person offering an argument gives clues that identify the premises of the argument: