Question 1

The first premise of a categorical syllogism has only one term.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Which of the following best describes a syllogism?

Accepted Answer

A)  an argument with three premises 
B)  an inductive argument that offers support for its conclusion 
C)  an argument by analogy such that if its premises are all true, then its conclusion is necessarily true 
D)  a deductive argument with two premises and a conclusion 
A)  an argument with three premises 
B)  an inductive argument that offers support for its conclusion 
C)  an argument by analogy such that if its premises are all true, then its conclusion is necessarily true 
D)  a deductive argument with two premises and a conclusion

Question 3

Which of the following is true of sound arguments?

Accepted Answer

A)  A sound argument may have a false premise. 
B)  A sound argument is valid. 
C)  A sound argument sounds good, but may be invalid. 
D)  A sound argument always has a true conclusion even if one of the premises is false. 
A)  A sound argument may have a false premise. 
B)  A sound argument is valid. 
C)  A sound argument sounds good, but may be invalid. 
D)  A sound argument always has a true conclusion even if one of the premises is false.

Question 4

Which of the following is true of deductive arguments?

Accepted Answer

A)  A deductive argument always establishes the truth of its conclusion. 
B)  Deductive arguments typically contain words and phrases such as "probably" and "it is likely the case." 
C)  The conclusion of a valid deductive argument necessarily follows from its premises. 
D)  The premises of a deductive argument are always true. 
A)  A deductive argument always establishes the truth of its conclusion. 
B)  Deductive arguments typically contain words and phrases such as "probably" and "it is likely the case." 
C)  The conclusion of a valid deductive argument necessarily follows from its premises. 
D)  The premises of a deductive argument are always true.

Question 5

Suppose a premise of a valid deductive argument were false.What can you conclude about the conclusion of this argument?

Accepted Answer

A)  The conclusion is true. 
B)  The conclusion is false. 
C)  The conclusion is valid. 
D)  None of these answers is correct. 
A)  The conclusion is true. 
B)  The conclusion is false. 
C)  The conclusion is valid. 
D)  None of these answers is correct.

Question 6

Suppose the conclusion of a valid deductive argument was false.What can you conclude about the argument?

Accepted Answer

A)  The argument is not deductively valid at all! 
B)  All of the premises are true. 
C)  All of the premises are false. 
D)  At least one of the premises is false. 
A)  The argument is not deductively valid at all! 
B)  All of the premises are true. 
C)  All of the premises are false. 
D)  At least one of the premises is false.

Question 7

The following argument is valid: "All dogs are robust.All robust things smell.John is a dog.Therefore,John smells."

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Which of the following determines whether or not an argument is valid?

Accepted Answer

A)  whether or not all of its premises are true 
B)  whether or not its conclusion is true 
C)  the form of the argument 
D)  All of these answers are things that determine whether an argument is valid. 
A)  whether or not all of its premises are true 
B)  whether or not its conclusion is true 
C)  the form of the argument 
D)  All of these answers are things that determine whether an argument is valid.

Question 9

Which of the following is a disjunctive syllogism?

Accepted Answer

A) "Either John,Bill,or Mary stole the diamond.John did not steal it.Mary did not steal it.Therefore,Bill stole it." 
B) "If John ate a cookie,then so did Mary.If Mary ate a cookie,then so did Bill.Therefore,if John ate a cookie,then so did Bill." 
C) "If you do not give me money,I will kill you." 
D) None of these answers is correct. 
A) "Either John,Bill,or Mary stole the diamond.John did not steal it.Mary did not steal it.Therefore,Bill stole it." 
B) "If John ate a cookie,then so did Mary.If Mary ate a cookie,then so did Bill.Therefore,if John ate a cookie,then so did Bill." 
C) "If you do not give me money,I will kill you." 
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 10

Which of the following is a universal proposition?

Accepted Answer

A)  "Some dogs are mean." 
B)  "No dogs are purple." 
C)  "There are three dogs chasing me." 
D)  None of these answers is correct. 
A)  "Some dogs are mean." 
B)  "No dogs are purple." 
C)  "There are three dogs chasing me." 
D)  None of these answers is correct.

Question 11

Arguments by elimination are deductive.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

The following argument is valid: "If it is raining outside,then the streets must be wet.The streets are wet.Therefore,it must be raining outside."

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Nothing true or false follows from a conditional claim alone.
B." Such claims alone are not arguments, since nothing follows from them alone.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

All valid arguments are sound.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Which of the following is a type of deductive argument?

Accepted Answer

A)  an argument by elimination 
B)  generalization 
C)  polls 
D)  an argument by analogy 
A)  an argument by elimination 
B)  generalization 
C)  polls 
D)  an argument by analogy

Question 16

The following argument is a sound disjunctive syllogism: "Either the Earth is perfectly flat or the Earth is perfectly round.The Earth is not perfectly flat.Therefore,the Earth is perfectly round."

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a type of deductive argument?

Accepted Answer

A)  an argument based on mathematics 
B)  an argument from definition 
C)  an argument by elimination 
D)  These are all types of deductive arguments. 
A)  an argument based on mathematics 
B)  an argument from definition 
C)  an argument by elimination 
D)  These are all types of deductive arguments.

Question 18

"If you went to the store last night,then we have milk.If we have milk,then we can have breakfast.If we have breakfast then we don't have to stop at Dunkin' Donuts.Therefore,if you went to the store last night,we don't have to stop at Dunkin Donuts." The preceding argument is which of the following types of argument?

Accepted Answer

A)  an inductive argument 
B)  modus ponens 
C)  chain argument 
D)  generalization 
A)  an inductive argument 
B)  modus ponens 
C)  chain argument 
D)  generalization

Question 19

All invalid arguments are unsound.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

The premise "No tigers are vegetarians" is a negative proposition.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

The first premise of a categorical syllogism has only one term.

Which of the following best describes a syllogism?

Which of the following is true of sound arguments?

Which of the following is true of deductive arguments?

Suppose a premise of a valid deductive argument were false.What can you conclude about the conclusion of this argument?

Suppose the conclusion of a valid deductive argument was false.What can you conclude about the argument?

The following argument is valid: "All dogs are robust.All robust things smell.John is a dog.Therefore,John smells."

Which of the following determines whether or not an argument is valid?

Which of the following is a disjunctive syllogism?

Which of the following is a universal proposition?

Arguments by elimination are deductive.

The following argument is valid: "If it is raining outside,then the streets must be wet.The streets are wet.Therefore,it must be raining outside."

Nothing true or false follows from a conditional claim alone. B." Such claims alone are not arguments, since nothing follows from them alone.

All valid arguments are sound.

Which of the following is a type of deductive argument?

The following argument is a sound disjunctive syllogism: "Either the Earth is perfectly flat or the Earth is perfectly round.The Earth is not perfectly flat.Therefore,the Earth is perfectly round."

Which of the following is NOT a type of deductive argument?

All invalid arguments are unsound.

The premise "No tigers are vegetarians" is a negative proposition.

Critical Thinking: Why Its Important?

Reason and Emotion

Language and Communication

Knowledge, Evidence, and Errors in Thinking

Informal Fallacies

Recognizing, Analyzing, and Constructing Arguments

Inductive Arguments

Ethics and Moral Decision Making

Marketing and Advertising

Mass Media

Science

Law and Politics

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Exam 8: Deductive Arguments

The first premise of a categorical syllogism has only one term.

Which of the following best describes a syllogism?

Which of the following is true of sound arguments?

Which of the following is true of deductive arguments?

Suppose a premise of a valid deductive argument were false.What can you conclude about the conclusion of this argument?

Suppose the conclusion of a valid deductive argument was false.What can you conclude about the argument?

The following argument is valid: "All dogs are robust.All robust things smell.John is a dog.Therefore,John smells."

Which of the following determines whether or not an argument is valid?

Which of the following is a disjunctive syllogism?

Which of the following is a universal proposition?

Arguments by elimination are deductive.

The following argument is valid: "If it is raining outside,then the streets must be wet.The streets are wet.Therefore,it must be raining outside."

Nothing true or false follows from a conditional claim alone. B." Such claims alone are not arguments, since nothing follows from them alone.

All valid arguments are sound.

Which of the following is a type of deductive argument?

The following argument is a sound disjunctive syllogism: "Either the Earth is perfectly flat or the Earth is perfectly round.The Earth is not perfectly flat.Therefore,the Earth is perfectly round."

Which of the following is NOT a type of deductive argument?

All invalid arguments are unsound.

The premise "No tigers are vegetarians" is a negative proposition.

Critical Thinking: Why Its Important?

Reason and Emotion

Language and Communication

Knowledge, Evidence, and Errors in Thinking

Informal Fallacies

Recognizing, Analyzing, and Constructing Arguments

Inductive Arguments

Ethics and Moral Decision Making

Marketing and Advertising

Mass Media

Science

Law and Politics

Filters