Question 1

The two basic forms of argument are…
A) Valid and invalid
B) Deductive and inductive
C) Abductive and inductive
D) Sound and cogent

Accepted Answer

The two basic forms of argument are deductive and inductive. Deductive arguments are structured so that if the premises are true, the conclusion must be true. Inductive arguments, on the other hand, reason from specific instances to general principles, and the conclusion is supported by the premises but not guaranteed.

Question 2

A deductive argument is intended to provide…
A) Probable support for its conclusion
B) Persuasive support for its conclusion
C) Logically conclusive support for its conclusion
D) Tentative support for its conclusion

Accepted Answer

A deductive argument is designed to offer logically conclusive support for its conclusion, meaning if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true.

Question 3

An argument intended to provide probable support for its conclusion is …
A) Deductive
B) Valid
C) Weak
D) Inductive

Accepted Answer

Inductive reasoning aims to provide probable support for its conclusion, rather than guaranteeing it as deductive reasoning attempts to do.

Question 4

A sound argument is…
A) Weak with valid premises
B) Valid with true premises
C) Strong with true premises
D) Valid with false premises

Accepted Answer

A sound argument is one that is not only valid (meaning if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true) but also has premises that are actually true.

Question 5

A deductively valid argument that has true premises is said to be…
A) Strong
B) Sound
C) Cogent
D) Probable

Accepted Answer

A deductively valid argument that also has true premises is defined as being sound. This means that the conclusion must necessarily follow from the premises.

Question 6

An inductively strong argument with true premises is said to be…
A) Sound
B) Valid
C) Invalid
D) Cogent

Accepted Answer

An inductively strong argument with true premises is said to be cogent. This means the argument is not only strong in its inductive reasoning but also based on true and reliable premises, making the conclusion likely true.

Question 7

Words like probably, likely, and plausibly signal a(n)…
A) Deductive argument
B) Invalid argument
C) Inductive argument
D) Valid argument

Accepted Answer

These words indicate uncertainty or probability, which are characteristics of inductive arguments. Inductive arguments are based on premises that are supposed to support the conclusion strongly but not guarantee it, unlike deductive arguments that aim for certainty.

Question 8

The first step in uncovering implicit premises is to search for a credible premise that would make the argument…
A) Strong
B) Complete
C) Valid
D) Plausible

Accepted Answer

The first step in uncovering implicit premises is to find a premise that would make the argument valid, meaning that if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true.

Question 9

An argument intended to provide logically conclusive support for its conclusion is…
A) Inductive
B) Valid
C) Deductive
D) Sound

Accepted Answer

A deductive argument is designed to provide logically conclusive support for its conclusion, aiming for validity where if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true.

Question 10

An inductive argument that succeeds in providing probable, but not conclusive, logical support for its conclusion is said to be…
A) Inductive
B) Cogent
C) Weak
D) Strong

Accepted Answer

A strong inductive argument is one where, if the premises are true, the conclusion is probably true, providing good but not conclusive support.

Question 11

A deductively valid argument cannot have…
A) True premises and a false conclusion
B) False premises and a true conclusion
C) True premises and a true conclusion
D) False premises and a false conclusion

Accepted Answer

A deductively valid argument, by definition, ensures that if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true. Therefore, it cannot have true premises and a false conclusion, as this would violate the principle of deductive validity.

Question 12

The first step in investigating possible implicit premises is to…
A) Search for a credible premise that would make the argument as strong as possible
B) Rewrite the argument
C) Search for a credible premise that would make the argument valid
D) Make a bad argument good

Accepted Answer

The first step in investigating possible implicit premises is to search for a credible premise that would make the argument valid, ensuring that the conclusion logically follows from the premises.

Question 13

The best way to learn how to assess long passages is to…
A) Memorize the arguments
B) Ignore the meaning of the passages
C) Pick out the words the words therefore and thus.
D) Practice

Accepted Answer

Practicing is the most effective way to improve the ability to assess long passages, as it helps develop comprehension and analytical skills over time.

Question 14

Truth-preserving arguments are …
A) Deductive
B) Inductive
C) Invalid
D) Persuasive

Accepted Answer

Deductive arguments are designed to be truth-preserving, meaning if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true.

Question 15

This classic argument-"All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore, Socrates is mortal"-is…
A) Inductively strong
B) Deductively cogent
C) Deductively invalid
D) Deductively valid

Accepted Answer

This argument is deductively valid because it follows a logical structure where the conclusion (Socrates is mortal) necessarily follows from the premises (All men are mortal; Socrates is a man). If the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true.

Question 16

A deductive argument is...
A) Always valid
B) Rarely valid
C) Cogent
D) Truth preserving

Accepted Answer

The answer of A deductive argument is...
A) Always valid
B) Rarely...

Question 17

The first step in assessing long arguments is to…
A) Identify the logical structure
B) Find the conclusion
C) Study the text until you understand it thoroughly
D) Identify the premises

Accepted Answer

The answer of The first step in assessing long arguments...

Question 18

This argument-"All dogs have flippers. All cats are dogs. Therefore, all cats have flippers."-is…
A) Invalid
B) Cogent
C) Valid
D) Weak

Accepted Answer

The argument is valid because it follows a logical structure where the conclusion necessarily follows from the premises, regardless of whether the premises are true.

Question 19

Part of the challenge in evaluating extended passages is that …
A) Only a small portion of the prose may contain premises and a conclusion.
B) The arguments are always highlighted.
C) The authors may not know what an argument is.
D) The authors sometimes announce their conclusion at the beginning of a passage.

Accepted Answer

Extended passages often contain a lot of information, but only a small portion may actually present the premises and conclusion, making it challenging to evaluate the argument.

Question 20

What is the procedure for determining whether an argument is deductive or inductive, valid or invalid, and strong or weak?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the procedure for determining whether...

Quiz 3: Identifying and Evaluating Arguments

The two basic forms of argument are…

A deductive argument is intended to provide…

An argument intended to provide probable support for its conclusion is …

A sound argument is…

A deductively valid argument that has true premises is said to be…

An inductively strong argument with true premises is said to be…

Words like probably, likely, and plausibly signal a(n) …

The first step in uncovering implicit premises is to search for a credible premise that would make the argument…

An argument intended to provide logically conclusive support for its conclusion is…

An inductive argument that succeeds in providing probable, but not conclusive, logical support for its conclusion is said to be…

A deductively valid argument cannot have…

The first step in investigating possible implicit premises is to…

The best way to learn how to assess long passages is to…

Truth-preserving arguments are …

This classic argument-"All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore, Socrates is mortal"-is…

A deductive argument is...

The first step in assessing long arguments is to…

This argument-"All dogs have flippers. All cats are dogs. Therefore, all cats have flippers."-is…

Part of the challenge in evaluating extended passages is that …

What is the procedure for determining whether an argument is deductive or inductive, valid or invalid, and strong or weak?