In evaluating an argument, which feature has the greatest impact on the argument's validity?

• A. It paraphrases the conclusion in different words and keeps its meaning.
• B. Introducing a new fact not used by the argument.
• C. Describing an example that is only tangential to the argument's claim.
• D. Reordering the premises to change the argument's focus.

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is whether the conclusion actually follows from the premises. If you can restate the conclusion in different words while keeping the same meaning, that shows the conclusion is entailed by the premises in a clear, verifiable way. The argument’s logical link is preserved even when the phrasing changes, which is a strong indicator that the premises support the conclusion as stated.

Introducing a new fact not used by the argument doesn’t test that link and can introduce irrelevant or unsupported content. A tangential example doesn’t demonstrate that the premises back the conclusion. Reordering the premises to shift the focus can obscure the logical connection and doesn’t inherently make the argument more valid.