Standard Form

Standard form rebuilds an argument as numbered premises — each marked factual or moral — with the conclusion stated last.

Start with a colleague's pitch: "Skip the off-site — attendance is optional and the budget is tight." Step one: find the conclusion — skip the off-site. Step two: list what supports the conclusion. Premise one: attendance is optional. Factual. Premise two: the budget is tight. Factual. Step three: look for the should. Nothing on the list carries one, so state what the speaker must be assuming — premise three: employees should avoid optional spending in a tight budget. Moral. Step four: restate the whole argument, premises numbered and marked, conclusion last. Now every line can be examined on its own: challenge the facts, or challenge the should.