Elenchus:

  1. The Interlocutor {asserts a thesis p, which Socrates considers false and targets for refutation}
  2. Socrates {secures agreement to further premises, say q and r (each of which may stand for a conjunct of propositions). These are not argued for by Socrates (i.e. the agreement is ad hoc)}
  3. Socrates {then argues, and the interlocutor agrees, that p & q & r entail a contradiction}
  4. Socrates claims that he has shown that p is false.