In evaluating arguments, which step involves paraphrasing the premise and connecting it to the conclusion?

• A. Identify argument conclusion
• B. Identify author's premise that support the conclusion
• C. List premise sequentially, finish with conclusion
• D. Paraphrase premise & connect to conclusion

Answer: (D)

Understanding how premises connect to a conclusion helps you evaluate an argument. When you paraphrase a premise in your own words and then explicitly link that restatement to the conclusion, you’re testing whether the stated support actually leads to the conclusion.

Paraphrasing ensures you truly grasp what the premise means, and connecting it to the conclusion shows the logical flow: does this restated idea provide a reason for the conclusion to be true? This makes the reasoning transparent and easier to assess for strength or gaps.

For example, if the premise is that “regular exercise improves health,” paraphrasing might be, “doing exercise regularly leads to better health.” Connecting to a conclusion like “therefore this program improves overall health” clarifies how the premise supports the conclusion. You can then evaluate whether that link is strong or if additional premises are needed.

Other steps, like just identifying the conclusion or listing premises, don’t require showing how those premises support the conclusion, so they don’t specifically test the link between premise and conclusion as this step does.