An argument, in Critical Thinking, is not just a conversation in which two people hurl abuse at each other. Neither is it the same thing as straightforward disagreement; there’s a difference between arguing with someone and merely contradicting them.

As Monty Python’s Argument Clinic sketch puts it, an argument is “a collected series of statements to establish a definite proposition”, an attempt to persuade by offering reasons. Any statement that attempts to persuade you that something is true by offering at least one reason for thinking that it is so counts as an argument.

The main Elements of Arguments are thus reasons and a conclusion. The ability to read a passage and pick out its conclusion and the reasons offered in support of it is perhaps the most basic skill required for Critical Thinking.

As you progress to more complicated arguments, you’ll also need to be able to spot intermediate conclusions and counter-arguments. Indicator Words can be helpful in flagging up how different parts of a passage are functioning in the argument that it contains.