Question

Summarise the passage below in One hundred and twenty words (120

Words)

ii. Write your summary in the standard form of an argument.

iii. Evaluate the Argument using the ARG condition and determine whether the argument

is cogent.

There are so many lessons one can learn about life from a dog. Imagine this scenario: it is raining

heavily outside and you need to leave for someone's house. The dog is up and eager, to go with

you. You tell it to stay home. As you leave, you see it squeezing out through the gap in the

doorway. You scold it and order it back home. Then at every turn you make, you suddenly see it

following you sheepishly at a distance. It follows at the risk of being reprimanded for the sore

reason of being somewhere nearby. How else can we experience so selfless an instance of love

and faithfulness? We can learn a lifelong lesson from this sincere warm display of perpetual

companionship.

Observe the eating habits of your dog. It does not eat, except when hungry. It does not drink, unless

it is thirsty. It does not gorge itself. It stops eating when it has had enough

A dog also sets a perfect example of adaptability. If it is moved to a strange place, it is able to

adapt itself to that place and to its thousand peculiarities without a murmur of complaint. It is able

to learn and adapt to a new family's ways and customs. It is quick and ready to please. Man, being

accustomed to comfort and wealth will be lost if suddenly stripped of all he is accustomed to.

A dog also teaches us a thing or two about, unselfish love. When a dog knows death is approaching,

it tries, with its last vestige of strength, to crawl away elsewhere to die, in order to burden its

owners no more.

A dog does things with all vigor. However, when there is nothing to do, it lies down and rests. It

does not waste its strength and energy needlessly. Many working people are burning the candles

at both ends. Many suffer nervous breakdowns due to stress. Perhaps, they should learn to rest like

a dog does.

A dog above all is truly man's best friend

Answer 1

ii) The summary of our argument in standard form is given below-

P1 : From a dog, we can learn a sincere warm display of perpetual companionship and faithfulness.

P2 : A dog does not eat or drink unless hungry or thirsty. It stops eating when it has had enough.

P3 : A dog also sets a perfect example of adaptability.

P4 : A dog also teaches us about unselfish love.

P5 : When a dog knows death is approaching it tries to crawl away elsewhere to die in order to burden its owners no more.

P6 : A dog does not waste its trend and energy needlessly.

C : A dog is a truly man’s best friend and there are so many lessons we can learn about life from a dog.

iii) The ARG conditions are listed below as-

1. The premisis must be acceptable.

2. The premisis must be relevant to the conclusion.

3. The premisis when considered together provide sufficient ground for the conclusion.

So, for an argument to be cogent we must satisfy all the ARG conditions.

Here, our summary provides enough information about a dog is a truly man’s best friend and there are so many lessons we can learn about life from a dog. Thus it satisfies all the above conditions. So we can say that the argument is cogent.