Exercise on the Structure of Arguments

Exercise # 1

My neighbor should be forced to get rid of all the cars in his yard. 1
People do not like living next door to such a mess. a
He never drives any of them. 2
They look all old and beat up and leak oil all over the place. b
It is bad for the neighborhood, and it will decrease property values. 3

Argument? Yes

Conclusion: It is bad for the neighborhood, and it will decrease property values.

Additional premises needed? "if a and b, then 1." In other words, it is possible to say, " If people do not like living next door to such mess and the cars look all old and beat up and leak oil all over the place, then my neighbor should be forced to get rid of all the cars in his yard."

Identify any subargument: a and b are independent and support the conclusion, 3.

Good argument? Yes because the premises are plausible and support the conclusion, so the argument is valid.