Clarify the original position of your argument. For instance, if you are building an argument to convince people to recycle, the original position is that too few people in your community recycle.
Determine the goal or conclusion of your logical argument, the main point you want to prove. For example, write the conclusion to your recycling argument as, “more people should take an active role to recycle materials they use at home.”
Write the premises for your argument, a series of provable, testable facts obtained through research, observation or experimentation. Construct strong premises that can withstand opposing scrutiny. For instance, your premises may include, “recycling reduces the quantity of new resources required,” “recycling reduces the amount of waste in landfills” and “recycling programs make recycling a simple process for individuals.”
Research each premise for evidence and support. Use this evidence to build the case for each premise and to present your argument. As an example, if you are building a logical argument for a research paper, use this evidence as support in the paragraphs you write for the body of your paper.
Reduce the number of premises you have by making inferences, logical assertions based on a series of premises. For instance, you can imply that if “recycling reduces the quantity of new resources required” and “recycling reduces the amount of waste in landfills” are true, then the single statement “recycling is beneficial for the environment” is also true.
Make one final inference explaining each of your remaining premises and stating your final conclusion. Determine if your premises successfully prove your conclusion, making sure you can infer your conclusion from the provided premises. If not, revisit your premises and find other premises to help you prove your point. For example, after reading your recycling premises, if you need a stronger argument for people who don’t care about the environment to recycle, you can look for evidence to support a new premise that, “recycling can earn money for your home and reduce the cost of products in the store.”