The phrase "affects the argument" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing how a particular factor or piece of evidence influences or changes the validity or strength of an argument.
Example: "The new evidence presented in the trial significantly affects the argument made by the defense."
Alternatives: "influences the argument" or "impacts the argument".
They chose this form over some other for a reason that affects the argument and the position they take.
If there is some positive reason to think that property relevant to the conclusion (that a is G), that reason needs to be explained; if not, there is no reason to believe it affects the argument and the original probability given by the proportional syllogism stands.
In my view, this experimental fact fundamentally affects the argument offered here.
Roberts: O.K., but in arguing about that with a black editor, how did that affect the argument?
This fact does not affect the argument put forward here.
(Simon and Eisenstadt do not explain just how this would be done, or how it would affect the argument).
(There are different ways to date the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, but they do not affect the argument here).
Hence Bohr's pointing to an influence on conditions for specifying predictions would not affect the argument at all unless one includes those conditions as part of the reality of Niels' system.
(There is a problem in that one would expect the twin to have XYZ in its blood stream, etc., not H2O, so the two are not perfect duplicates; but we can take it that this physical difference should not affect the argument).
In practice there may be a delay of one step between reaching the threshold and the chromophore not absorbing, but this does not affect the argument significantly.
This was considered at the time to be convincing proof of the synthesis of element 103: while the mass assignment was less certain and proved to be mistaken, it did not affect the arguments in favor of element 103 having been synthesized.
