Statements are things that are said that are either true or false, they are also called claims. To decide if a sentence is expressing a claim, you don’t need to figure out if it is true or false, just whether it’s the sort of thing that might be true or might be false.
There are three types of sentences we study, only one of which also counts as a statement:
Sentences are what we write and what we say, sentences are sometimes being used to convey a deeper statement. Declarative sentences are ways of putting statements into words as a linguistic representation.
An argument is at least one conclusion supported by one or more reasons, all of which are statements (alternatively: A connected series of statements intended to establish a definite proposition/statement). One of the main reasons we study arguments is to be in a position to form opinions that are not mere beliefs based on our subjective experience, since these will always be tied to our individual perspective.
Statements are used in arguments as premises or conclusions. The conclusion is what the speaker wants you to accept. Arguments are often intended to persuade the listener.
For any conclusion, the premises used to directly support it are called its basic premises.
There are two ways to question an argument:
Explanations tell us why something happened (how or why a certain accepted fact is the case), arguments tell us why we should believe it happened (provide reasons for believing a conclusion that is not generally accepted). Explanations can be part of arguments, or the conclusion of an argument can point to the best explanation.
An issue is what we are arguing to try to settle. Issues arise when there is uncertainty about whether to accept or reject a claim, or about what to do or not do. It is common to express an issue by using the word “whether” to indicate the uncertainty involved, or to phrase it as a question.
Proof in our context is a convincing argument, as in an argument that should convince your audience, not simply an argument that does convince them.
Indicators are used to indicate premises and conclusions in an argument. Indicators are not 100% effective and many words in English have multiple meaning.
Discount indicators are used to signal that another claim should be deemphasized.
