logical form

The pattern of an argument, left over when you blank out what it is about.

An argument's logical form is the structure you get by replacing each distinct claim with a sentence variable, the same variable for the same claim every time, while keeping the connecting words such as if … then, or, and, and not. Arguments that share a form share a verdict on validity.

Examples

"If it rains, the game is off. It rains. So the game is off" has the form: if P then Q; P; so Q.