Logical Reasoning
Argument
A set of premises leading to a conclusion; it is valid when the conclusion follows from the premises.
| English | Argument |
|---|---|
| Bahasa Melayu | Hujah |
| 中文 | 论证 |
How it is used
Premise 1: All squares are rectangles. Premise 2: ABCD is a square.
Conclusion: ABCD is a rectangle. This is a valid argument because the conclusion follows necessarily from the two premises.
Where it shows up in SPM
Arguments appear in the deductive-reasoning part of Logical Reasoning (Form 4). Paper 1 tests the three standard argument forms and asks for the conclusion.
Paper 2 asks you to make a conclusion from given premises or to complete a premise so an argument is valid.
Don't confuse it with
Open the chapter: Logical Reasoning →
Frequently asked questions
What are the three standard argument forms in SPM?
The syllabus lists three forms of deductive argument. The first form reasons from "all A are B" and "C is A" to "C is B".
The second and third forms use an implication "if p, then q" with an extra premise to give a valid conclusion. Learn each pattern by heart.
What does it mean for an argument to be valid?
An argument is valid when the conclusion must be true whenever the premises are true, regardless of the actual facts. Validity is about the structure of the reasoning, not whether each premise happens to be true in the real world.
How do I complete a missing premise?
Match the argument to one of the three forms and fill the gap so the pattern is complete. If the conclusion is "8 is divisible by 2" from premise "if a number is even, then it is divisible by 2", the missing premise is "8 is even".