Deck 3: Propositions

Question 1

Which of the following is true?

A)No two sentences express exactly the same proposition.
B)Only two completely identical sentences can express the same proposition.
C)Two different sentences may express exactly the same proposition.
D)Two different sentences always express exactly the same proposition.
E)No sentence ever expresses a proposition.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

What is the subject of the following proposition? The Empire State Building is over 1,000 feet tall.

A)the Empire State Building is
B)the Empire State Building
C)over 1,000 feet tall
D)1,000 feet
E)is

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Is "grass is green" a statement or a proposition?

A)The words make a statement, but the thought is a proposition.
B)It is a statement only.
C)It is a proposition only.
D)It is neither a statement nor a proposition.
E)It is impossible to tell without more information.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following is a proposition?

A)Game 1 in the playoffs
B)the Pillsbury Dough Boy
C)ran too fast for me to catch him
D)Jack is tall
E)was two blocks south of the library

Question 5

What is the subject of the following proposition? "What you got, boy, is hard to find."-Ke$ha (Your Love is My Drug)

A)you
B)what you got
C)boy
D)hard to find
E)is

Question 6

What is the subject of the following proposition? The theory of relativity in physics has been well confirmed by experiments.

A)the theory of relativity in physics has been well confirmed by experiments
B)the theory of relativity in physics
C)has been well confirmed by experiments
D)experiments
E)well confirmed

Question 7

What is the subject of the following proposition? Jack is a Baptist.

A)Jack is a Baptist
B)Jack
C)is
D)a Baptist
E)is a Baptist

Question 8

A proposition has:

A)no subject and no predicate
B)a subject, but no predicate
C)a predicate, but no subject
D)a subject and a predicate
E)a subject and at least two predicates

Question 9

Which of the following is true?

A)No sentence expresses a proposition.
B)Every sentence expresses exactly one proposition.
C)Every sentence expresses exactly two propositions.
D)A sentence can express more than one proposition.
E)All sentences must express more than one proposition.

Question 10

In the context of logic, a proposition is a:

A)statement that expresses a complete thought
B)goal to be achieved
C)plan for achieving a goal
D)type of definition
E)statement that gives a command to someone

Question 11

Could a question ever be a proposition?

A)No, because questions never contain information.
B)No, because questions do not have a subject and a predicate.
C)No, because questions are not true or false.
D)Yes, because every sentence is a proposition.
E)Yes, because every question has an answer.

Question 12

Propositions are either:

A)sound or valid
B)unsound or invalid
C)true or valid
D)true or false
E)unsound or false

Question 13

What is the subject of the following proposition? The wall lizard, originally from Italy, is not native to Cincinnati.

A)the wall lizard
B)originally from Italy
C)the wall lizard, originally from Italy
D)wall lizard is not native
E)is not native to Cincinnati

Question 14

What is the subject of the following proposition? "In a dream, my love, you will find my heart."-Rockell (In a Dream)

A)you
B)dream
C)my heart
D)in a dream
E)will find

Question 15

In a proposition, the subject is always:

A)the meaning of the proposition, taken as a whole
B)a term that tells us what something is doing
C)a term that refers to something or a class of things
D)the first word of the proposition
E)the last word of the proposition

Question 16

Which of the following is a proposition?

A)Quito is the capital of Ecuador.
B)facing the west wall of her father's house
C)the entire collection of stamps
D)in opposition to what he had claimed earlier
E)unacceptable in the eyes of the law

Question 17

According to the text, which of the following is true?

A)The terms proposition and statement have exactly the same meaning.
B)A proposition contains many ideas, but a statement contains only one.
C)A statement contains many ideas, but a proposition contains only one.
D)A statement is a thought, and a proposition is the linguistic expression of it.
E)A proposition is a thought, and a statement is the linguistic expression of it.

Question 18

Which of the following is a proposition?

A)the Empire State Building
B)is over 1,000 feet tall
C)most cars have four wheels
D)New York City
E)car

Question 19

Is "the way I usually go home" a statement or a proposition?

A)The words make a statement, but the thought is a proposition.
B)It is a statement only.
C)It is a proposition only.
D)It is neither a statement nor a proposition.
E)It is impossible to tell without more information.

Question 20

Which of the following is a proposition?

A)a turkey at Thanksgiving time
B)flying a jet with a broken altimeter
C)Antoni Gaudí was a talented architect.
D)the last box of cake mix on the shelf
E)eating as though it were a contest

Question 21

Is it possible to construct a proposition in which the first word serves as both the subject and the predicate?

A)No, because the same word cannot be both subject and predicate.
B)No, because only the last word of a sentence can serve as both subject and predicate.
C)No, because the subject must appear before the predicate.
D)Yes, because the first word could be a verb.
E)Yes, because the first word could be a noun.

Question 22

Equivalent propositions must have the same:

A)number of words
B)subject
C)predicate
D)word order
E)meaning

Question 23

What is the subject of the following proposition? " "Impossible to see, the future is."-Yoda (Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones)

A)impossible
B)impossible to see
C)the future
D)the future is impossible
E)impossible to see, the future

Question 24

Can two propositions be equivalent if their predicates do not consist of the same words?

A)Yes, but only if the subjects are worded identically.
B)Yes, but only if the subjects are also worded differently from each other.
C)Yes, because the predicates could have identical meanings.
D)No, because the predicates must be identical.
E)No, because they wouldn't be about the same topic.

Question 25

Which of the following pairs of propositions is equivalent?

A)The band played on.The symphony played on.
B)Carmen enjoys softball.Carmen plays softball.
C)Superman fights crime.Superman fights for justice.
D)California is the most populous state.California is the most populated state.
E)Australia is a continent.Australia is a large island.

Question 26

Can the predicate of a proposition appear before the subject?

A)No, because such a proposition would be meaningless.
B)No, because if it appeared earlier, then it would be the subject.
C)No, because the subject always appears first.
D)Yes, because the predicate always appears first.
E)Yes, the subject and predicate can appear in any order.

Question 27

What is the predicate of the following proposition? "Everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go."-Sarah Josepha Hale (Mary Had a Little Lamb)

A)went
B)everywhere that Mary went
C)was sure to go everywhere that Mary went
D)was sure
E)the lamb was

Question 28

What is the predicate of the following proposition? "Track down this bounty hunter you must, Obi-Wan."-Yoda (Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones)

A)Obi-Wan
B)bounty hunter
C)must track down this bounty hunter
D)you must, Obi-Wan
E)you

Question 29

Can two propositions be equivalent if their subjects do not consist of the same words?

A)No, because they wouldn't be about the same topic.
B)No, because the subjects must be identical.
C)Yes, but only if the predicates are worded identically.
D)Yes, but only if the predicates are also worded differently from each other.
E)Yes, because their subjects could have identical meanings.

Question 30

Is it possible to have a proposition with no predicate?

A)No, because a proposition requires a predicate.
B)No, because even a random string of words has a predicate.
C)No, because the predicate is simply whatever word appears last.
D)Yes, because whenever there is no predicate, logic takes "is" to be the predicate.
E)Yes, because a subject by itself can be a proposition.

Question 31

What is the predicate of the following proposition? "A rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet."-William Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

A)a rose
B)sweet
C)would smell as sweet
D)by any other name
E)name

Question 32

Must a predicate always contain a verb?

A)No, because it might have an adverb instead.
B)No, because not every proposition is a complete sentence.
C)Yes, and it must always be "am," "are," or "is."
D)Yes.
E)It depends on whether or not there is a verb in the subject.

Question 33

What is the predicate of the following proposition? The adorable little baby was playing on the wooden floor.

A)adorable
B)baby was playing
C)the adorable little baby
D)was playing on the wooden floor
E)wooden floor

Question 34

Which of the following pairs of propositions is equivalent?

A)Jack is tall.Jack is short.
B)Jack is a lawyer.Jack is an attorney.
C)Jack is tall.Jack is married.
D)Jack is a Baptist.Jack is a Christian.
E)Jack is a lawyer.Jack is married.

Question 35

The proposition "Jack is X" and the proposition "Jack is Y" are equivalent if:

A)X means the opposite of Y
B)X is a concept that includes Y
C)Y is a referent of the concept X
D)X and Y are both referents of the same concept
E)X means the same as Y

Question 36

Which of the following pairs of propositions is equivalent?

A)The theater is full.The theater is crowded.
B)Water quenches thirst.H₂O quenches thirst.
C)Martians will soon invade Earth.Martians will soon bomb Earth.
D)The sand is sparkly.The sand is crystalline.
E)Laughter is healthy.Laughter is normal.

Question 37

What is the predicate of the following proposition? The theory of relativity in physics has been well confirmed by experiments.

A)the theory of relativity in physics has been well confirmed by experiments
B)the theory of relativity in physics
C)has been well confirmed by experiments
D)experiments
E)physics

Question 38

In a proposition, the predicate is always:

A)the first word
B)the last word
C)a term that refers to something or a class of things
D)the meaning of the proposition, taken as a whole
E)a term that tells us what something is, what properties it has, or what it is doing

Question 39

Is it possible to have a proposition with no subject?

A)No, because the subject is simply whatever word appears first.
B)No, because a proposition requires a subject.
C)Yes, because whenever there is no subject, logic takes "you" to be the subject.
D)Yes, because whenever there is no subject, logic takes "it" to be the subject.
E)Yes, because a predicate by itself can be a proposition.

Question 40

What is the predicate of the following proposition? The Empire State Building is over 1,000 feet tall.

A)the Empire State Building is over
B)the Empire State Building
C)tall
D)1,000 feet
E)is over 1,000 feet tall

Question 41

Two terms are equivalent only if they:

A)have the same connotations
B)express the same concept and have the same connotations
C)express the same concept
D)express the same concept and have different connotations
E)express different concepts

Question 42

A metaphor is a:

A)proposition with no subject
B)proposition with no predicate
C)proposition with neither a subject nor a predicate
D)nonliteral use of language
E)literal use of language

Question 43

Which pair of terms expresses the same concept?

A)sweat / perspire
B)acquire / take
C)remove / throw out
D)listen / discuss
E)know / believe

Question 44

How are metaphors different from connotations?

A)They aren't."Metaphor" and "connotation" mean the same thing.
B)Connotations involve the literal meanings of a word, metaphors the nonliteral.
C)Connotations involve the nonliteral meanings of a word, metaphors the literal.
D)Metaphors are a particular type of connotation.
E)Connotations are a particular type of metaphor.

Question 45

Which of the following sentences contains a metaphor?

A)Feeling blue is only one symptom of depression.
B)Playing billiards can help to improve hand-eye coordination.
C)Many soups are very high in sodium.
D)Russia is the largest country on Earth by land area.
E)Tyrannosaurus rex was more likely a predator than a scavenger.

Question 46

Which of the following is a connotation of the word "talent"?

A)It is an ability.
B)It is possessed by a person or animal.
C)It is good in some way.
D)It is not possessed by everyone.
E)Its execution is a matter of skill rather than of luck.

Question 47

Which of the following is a metaphor? Martha Stewart is:

A)creative
B)thrifty
C)a powerhouse
D)a success
E)a businesswoman

Question 48

Are connotations an important consideration when we choose our words?

A)Yes, because we should never use words that have connotations.
B)Yes, because two terms that express the same concept might evoke different feelings.
C)No, because two terms that express the same concept will always evoke the same feelings.
D)No, unless we are writing poetry.
E)No, unless we are writing political speeches.

Question 49

Which of the following is a metaphor? The night at the opera was:

A)entertaining
B)too short
C)the best night of my life
D)magical
E)an evening well spent

Question 50

Can the word order of a proposition be changed in such a way that the new proposition is equivalent to the original?

A)No, because changing the word order will change the meaning.
B)No, because equivalent propositions must have the same grammatical structure.
C)No, because no two propositions are ever completely equivalent.
D)Yes, because the two propositions could have exactly the same meaning.
E)Yes, because changing the word order can never change the meaning of a proposition.

Question 51

Which of the following is a metaphor? My pain is:

A)sharp
B)extreme
C)bad
D)severe
E)terrible

Question 52

Which of the following sentences contains a metaphor?

A)Listening to others is an important part of effective communication.
B)Television shows come in many different varieties.
C)The beach is a great place to make friends.
D)Cactuses are the trees of the desert.
E)Nitrogen is the largest component of the Earth's atmosphere.

Question 53

A connotation is:

A)the literal meaning of a word
B)an image, feeling, or attitude associated with a word
C)a word that has two different definitions
D)a word that has more than two syllables
E)an alternative spelling for a word

Question 54

Which pair of terms expresses the same concept?

A)scissors / pliers
B)hold / carry
C)exercise / jog
D)garden / field
E)donkey / ass

Question 55

A dead metaphor is a:

A)gentle way to say that someone has died
B)harsh way to say that someone has died
C)metaphor that is not very exciting
D)metaphor that no one uses anymore
E)metaphor used so often that it is now part of the literal meaning of a word

Question 56

Which pair of terms expresses the same concept?

A)protect / defend
B)nation / continent
C)book / novel
D)bright / shiny
E)buying / acquiring

Question 57

Which of the following sentences contains a metaphor?

A)Twelve inches are equal to 1 foot.
B)My love is like a red, red rose.
C)The combination of blue and red pigments will result in purple.
D)Bhutan is a country in Asia.
E)Marigolds are beautiful flowers.

Question 58

Which pair of terms expresses the same concept?

A)shrink / psychotherapist
B)glove / sock
C)nerd / student
D)bird / goose
E)Christian / Protestant

Question 59

Which of the following is a connotation of the word "stench"?

A)It is a smell.
B)It is an object of the olfactory sense.
C)It is carried by tiny particles in the air.
D)It is bad.
E)It can be detected by humans.

Question 60

Do metaphors appear in the subject or in the predicate of a proposition?

A)Neither.They appear in between the subject and the predicate.
B)Only in the subject.
C)Only in the predicate.
D)Whichever one appears at the end of the sentence.
E)Either the subject or the predicate.

Question 61

Which of the following sentences most clearly asserts more than one proposition?

A)Sodium is one of two elements needed to make salt.
B)Arguing with an irrational person is pointless.
C)I don't have time to buy postage stamps.
D)The Jamboree will be in August.
E)Neurologists study the nervous system.

Question 62

Which of the following sentences most clearly asserts more than one proposition?

A)The baby's name is Marcia.
B)Many soft drinks contain sodium.
C)I want to visit South America.
D)We live in a red house near the lake.
E)A helmet's shape is similar to a turtle's shell.

Question 63

Which of the following sentences expresses the idea that the economy will improve by November without asserting it?

A)The president will be reelected, and the economy will improve by November.
B)The president will be reelected, but the economy will improve by November.
C)The president will be reelected, so the economy will improve by November.
D)The reelection of the president depends on whether the economy will improve by November.
E)The reelection of the president will occur in November, for the economy will improve by November.

Question 64

Which of the following operations, if performed on most propositions, would result in an equivalent proposition?

A)Negate the predicate.
B)Change the tense of the verb.
C)Change the voice from active to passive or vice versa.
D)Add a second predicate.
E)Replace the subject with its genus.

Question 65

Which proposition is equivalent to "Jane did better than Tom on the test"?

A)Tom did worse than Jane on the test.
B)Jane's test score was five points higher than Tom's.
C)Tom is jealous of Jane's score on the test.
D)Tom did better than Jane on the test.
E)The test showed that Jane is smarter than Tom.

Question 66

Can a single sentence assert more than a single proposition?

A)No.
B)Yes, but only if the sentence contains a comma.
C)Yes, but only if the sentence contains a conjunction.
D)Yes, because the sentence contains both a subject and a predicate.
E)Yes, because the sentence may state several distinct facts.

Question 67

If a proposition compares A to B with respect to property C, it is usually possible to form an equivalent proposition by:

A)comparing B to A with respect to property C
B)comparing A to B with respect to property D
C)comparing B to A with respect to property D
D)comparing A to itself with respect to property C
E)comparing A to itself with respect to property D

Question 68

Which proposition is equivalent to "The team worked together to paint the fence"?

A)The fence worked together to be painted by the team.
B)The team cooperated to paint the fence.
C)Each member of the team painted part of the fence.
D)The fence was painted by more than one person.
E)Painting the fence required teamwork.

Question 69

Can a sentence with only one subject and one predicate still assert more than one proposition?

A)No, because asserting more than one proposition requires more than one subject.
B)No, because asserting more than one proposition requires more than one predicate.
C)No, because there would not be enough information to constitute two propositions.
D)Yes, because for example, the use of an adjective might constitute another assertion.
E)Yes, because the subject is one asserted proposition, and the predicate is always another.

Question 70

Which proposition is equivalent to "The invitation was discarded as soon as it was opened"?

A)As soon as the invitation was opened, it was discarded.
B)The person who opened the invitation discarded it right away.
C)The invitation was opened first and then discarded.
D)Whoever opened the invitation discarded it without replying.
E)The invitation was opened, ignored, and thrown away.

Question 71

When you assert a proposition, you:

A)commit yourself to its truth
B)deny that it is true
C)put it between two other related propositions
D)put it between two other unrelated propositions
E)suggest a way that it might be improved

Question 72

Which of the following sentences most clearly asserts more than one proposition?

A)I have a pet ferret named Aries.
B)Pat is a taxi driver.
C)In an unstable economy, prices can vary.
D)The lobster is a type of crustacean.
E)The smaller the eye of a needle, the harder it is to thread.

Question 73

Can any two propositions be asserted together in a single sentence?

A)No, since a sentence can only contain one proposition.
B)No, since only propositions about the same topic can be asserted in a single sentence.
C)Yes, any two can be asserted.
D)Yes, but only if they are very closely related propositions.
E)Yes, but only if both propositions have the same predicate.

Question 74

Can a sentence assert more than one proposition without using any conjunctions?

A)Yes, but then the propositions must be separated by commas.
B)Yes, and it might not include any commas either.
C)No, because without conjunctions, separate sentences would be required.
D)No, because that would require a subject to have more than one predicate.
E)No, because there would be no way to distinguish one proposition from another.

Question 75

Which of the following sentences most clearly asserts more than one proposition?

A)Children have a sense of wonder.
B)A good and wise person plans ahead.
C)Life without joy is not worth living.
D)The falling snow is accumulating quickly.
E)Japan is an island nation.

Question 76

Which proposition is equivalent to "The Mets beat the Red Sox"?

A)The Mets prevented the Red Sox from scoring.
B)The Red Sox were beaten by the Mets.
C)The Red Sox could not score against the Mets.
D)The Mets doubled the score of the Red Sox.
E)The Red Sox didn't show up, so the Mets won by default.

Question 77

Which of the following sentences most clearly asserts more than one proposition?

A)Babe Ruth was a baseball player.
B)The launch will be delayed.
C)The rebels are waving a white flag.
D)Saying the wrong thing on a first date is common.
E)The black ball in billiards is the eight ball.

Question 78

Which proposition is equivalent to "Leah runs much faster than Michelle"?

A)Leah has been running longer than Michelle.
B)Leah is much more athletic than Michelle.
C)Michelle doesn't work at running as much as Leah.
D)Leah and Michelle don't run equally well.
E)Michelle runs much slower than Leah.

Question 79

Is it possible for two propositions with different predicates to be equivalent?

A)No, because they could never have the same meaning.
B)No, because equivalent propositions must have equivalent predicates.
C)Yes, because only the subject matters when determining equivalence.
D)Yes, but only if the subjects of the propositions are equivalent.
E)Yes, because equivalence does not depend on having identical predicates.

Question 80

Which of the following statements is true?

A)A proposition can be asserted without being expressed.
B)A proposition can be expressed without being asserted.
C)Every expressed proposition is also being asserted.
D)Every proposition is either expressed or asserted, but never both.
E)Every proposition is both expressed and asserted.