Deck 6: Recognizing, Analyzing, and Constructing Arguments

Question 1

Which of the following could be a descriptive premise in an argument?

A) "It is wrong to torture puppies!"
B) "How are you?"
C) "The Earth is the twenty-second planet from the sun."
D) None of these answers is correct.

Answer 1

C
Explanation: A descriptive premise is a premise that is based on empirical facts. In other words, such premises are statements of facts that can be observed through the senses. Descriptive premises are propositions, so questions are not descriptive premises. Moral judgments, on the other hand, are propositions, but are not verifiable using the senses. They too, then, are not descriptive premises. A descriptive premise must be based on observations, but observations can be misleading. Even a false claim, if empirically verifiable (or empirically refutable), can be a descriptive premise.

Question 2

Which of the following is true of rhetoric?

A) Rhetoric is based solely on opinion.
B) Rhetoric is a synonym for logical argumentation.
C) Rhetoric starts with a position then presents evidence supporting that position.
D) "Rhetoric" means the same as "issue."

Answer 2

C
Explanation: Rhetoric is the art of persuading us to accept a particular position. In English classes, it typically refers to persuasive writing (rather than persuasive speech or particular instances of rhetoric). While useful in discussion, rhetoric cannot be substituted for rational argumentation.

Question 3

Which of the following is true about issues?

A) Issues are always clearly defined.
B) Identifying an issue requires good communication skills.
C) Issues are always simple.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Answer 3

B
Explanation: In the context of critical thought, an issue is set of problems that people may disagree over. Issues are not always clearly defined or simple, and so clear thought and good communication skills may be needed to determine exactly what the issue at hand may be before any serious effort can be made to resolve it.

Question 4

Which of the following is a proposition?

A) the conclusion of an argument
B) a premise in an argument
C) Neither the conclusion of an argument nor a premise in an argument is a proposition.
D) Both premises and conclusions in an argument are propositions.

Question 5

Which of the following is a premise indicator?

A) therefore
B) since
C) or
D) thus

Question 6

Which of the following is true of arguments?

A) All arguments are rationally compelling.
B) Some arguments do not explicitly state their conclusion.
C) All arguments are deductive.
D) No arguments are inductive.

Question 7

Which of the following best describes a sound argument?

A) an inductive argument that provides some support for its conclusion
B) an inductive argument that guarantees the truth of its conclusion
C) a deductive argument that guarantees the truth of its conclusion if all its premises are true
D) a deductive argument that provides support for its conclusion and has all true premises

Question 8

Which of the following is a definitional premise?

A) "Dogs are like a good friend in that both are loyal."
B) "Stay off the grass!"
C) "Dogs have four legs."
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 9

Which of the following best describes a valid deductive argument?

A) an argument with two premises
B) a persuasive argument
C) an argument that provides just some reason for believing its conclusion
D) an argument that guarantees the truth of its conclusion if its premises are all true

Question 10

Which of the following is true?

A) Explanations are always reasonable.
B) Explanations appear only in deductive arguments, never in inductive arguments.
C) Explanations provide arguments for a conclusion.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 11

Which of the following is true of conditional statements?

A) Conditional statements are arguments.
B) Claims follow from conditional statements.
C) Conditional statements take the form "If…then…".
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 12

Which of the following is true?

A) What is explained is known to have occurred.
B) Explanations can be given in terms of the purposes of an item.
C) Explanations attempt to provide an account of why something happened.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 13

Which of the following should any good argument do?

A) merely provide some evidence for a conclusion
B) provide irrelevant evidence for a conclusion
C) provide sufficient evidence for a conclusion
D) guarantee the truth of its premises

Question 14

Which of the following is true of arguments?

A) All arguments are clearly stated.
B) Good listening skills are sometimes necessary to clarify someone's argument.
C) Openness to the ideas of others can only serve to prevent you from understanding an argument.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 15

Which of the following best describes an argument in the context of critical thinking?

A) two people angrily disagreeing with one another over an important issue and calling each other nasty names
B) attempting to provide rational support for a claim with a set of premises
C) the process of defending a deeply held belief without considering opposing evidence
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 16

Which of the following is a type of sentence that expresses a proposition?

A) directive sentence
B) expressive sentence
C) question
D) declarative sentence

Question 17

Which of the following best describes an argument in logic?

A) a difference in opinion
B) a personal interpretation of an issue
C) bickering over an issue
D) the use of reason and evidence to support a conclusion

Question 18

Which of the following would be inappropriate for a rational discussion?

A) a beautifully written and well-argued essay that makes many allusions to literature
B) a formal and unadorned presentation of an argument
C) a beautifully written essay on the literature of ancient Greece that only attacks the character of a debate opponent
D) a well-written essay that focuses on presenting the results of a poll to argue that some opinion is generally unpopular

Question 19

Which of the following is true of inductive arguments?

A) An inductive argument guarantees the truth of its conclusion.
B) An inductive argument attempts to provide support for the truth of its conclusion.
C) The conclusion of an inductive argument must be true if all of the argument's premises are true.
D) An inductive argument attempts to provide a necessary proof of its conclusion.

Question 20

Which of the following is a conclusion indicator?

A) because
B) since
C) if
D) therefore

Question 21

All issues can be reduced to two sides.

Question 22

Propositions cannot be conclusions of arguments.

Question 23

Which of the following is true?

A) The purpose of rhetoric is to discover the truth.
B) The purpose of argumentation is to discover the truth.
C) The purpose of argumentation is to convince others of the truth of what you believe.
D) None of these answers is true.

Question 24

"Since" is a conclusion indicator.

Question 25

In a valid deductive argument,the conclusion may be false even if the premises are all true.

Question 26

Definitional premises always contain analogies.

Question 27

The conclusion of an argument is always stated or written down.

Question 28

Explanations are not arguments.

Question 29

Conclusions follow from conditional statements alone.

Question 30

If no argument can be provided to support a claim,then that claim must be false.

Question 31

"John,don't jump!" can be a prescriptive premise.

Question 32

"Since" always indicates a premise.

Question 33

Identifying an issue requires good communication skills.

Question 34

Arguments cannot provide reasons for accepting a position.

Question 35

A strong inductive argument may have a false conclusion even if all its premises are true.

Question 36

"Thus" is a conclusion indicator.

Question 37

The purpose of argumentation is to persuade others of your view.

Question 38

Some explanations are not as good as other explanations.

Question 39

If a person provides a good counterargument to your argument,you should revise your beliefs in light of this.

Question 40

All propositions are true.

Question 41

Rhetoric has no place in a well-crafted argument.