WGU D265 Critical Thinking: Reason
and Evidence |Updated 2026
Which sentence is a non-proposition?
- If the burglar did not go out the front door, they must have gone out a window.
- The earth is the third planet from the sun.
- Where are the keys to my car?
- Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. - answer-Where are the keys to my
car?
Did the company really close that deal? It has had a great year. Where is the president right
now? Let's
go ask whether the deal was closed.
In the above paragraph, which sentence expresses a proposition?
- Where is the president right now?
- Did the company really close that deal?
- Let's go ask whether the deal was closed.
- It has had a great year. - answer-It has had a great year.
Propositions - answer-Statements that can be true or false.
Non-propositions - answer-Sentences that are not statements about matters of fact (or
fiction). They
do not make a claim that can be true or false.
Which sentence expresses a complex proposition?
- Birthday parties can be really fun.
- The cat ate the food, but did not like it.
- Too many employees are used to high-stress work environments in the United States.
- Why did the monkey escape, and who is responsible? - answer-The cat ate the food, but
did not like
it.
If the computer is not fixed, then the company either needs to buy a new one or will not be
,able to
keep up productivity.
Which of the following breaks down the complex proposition above into the simple
propositions?
- If the computer is not fixed, then the company needs to buy a new one. The company will
not be
able to keep up productivity.
- The computer is not fixed. The company needs to buy a new computer. The company will
not be able
to keep up productivity.
- The computer is not fixed. The company either needs to buy a new one or will not be able
to keep up
productivity.
- The company does not have enough computers. - answer-The computer is not fixed. The
company
needs to buy a new computer. The company will not be able to keep up productivity.
Simple propositions - answer-Simple propositions have no internal logical structure,
meaning whether
they are true or false does not depend on whether part of them is true or false. They are
simply true
or false on their own.
Complex propositions - answer-Complex propositions have internal logical structure,
meaning they are
composed of simple propositions. Whether they are true or false depends on whether their
parts are
true or false.
If the new employee wants to succeed, then they need to show up on time. How many times
have we
heard the manager complain about tardiness? Nobody likes a 7 a.m. start time, but it was in
the job
description. We should remind the new employee how important this is.
Which is a simple proposition that is expressed in the above paragraph?
- The new employee wants to succeed.
- How many times have we heard the manager complain about tardiness?
- The employees look out for each other.
- If the new employee wants to succeed, then they need to show up on time. - answer-The
new
,employee wants to succeed.
The U.S. healthcare system is difficult to navigate, and this negatively affects many of us.
Many people
are unsure exactly how their health insurance coverage works and are not sure where they
can go to
get care. What can be done to improve this? If changes are not made soon, the problem will
only get
worse.
Which is a simple proposition that is expressed in the above paragraph?
- Many people are not sure where they can go to get care.
- The U.S. healthcare system is difficult to navigate, and this negatively affects many of us.
- What can be done to improve this?
- Many people are unsure exactly how their health insurance coverage works and are not
sure where
they can go to get care. - answer-Many people are not sure where they can go to get care.
Bad inferential structure - answer-Every argument with the same structure as this
argument is bad
(invalid or weak). The premises do not, in fact, demonstrate or maybe even support the
conclusion. In
other words, we can accept the premises as true without being compelled to accept the
conclusion.
There is something wrong with this argument's general structure.
False premise - answer-This particular argument has a premise/assumption that is false.
There is
something wrong with this argument's particular content.
Conclusion Indicators - answer-Therefore, so, it follows that, hence, thus, entails that, we
may
conclude that, implies that, wherefore, as a result
Premise Indicators - answer-Because, for, given that, in that, as, since, as indicated by
"Since we cannot go out until the restaurant opens, and given that we are trying to save
money, we
should just hang out here until closer to dinner."
Which statements are the premises of the following argument? Choose 2 answers.
- We cannot go out until the restaurant opens.
- We are trying to save money.
, - We should just hang out here until closer to dinner.
- We can have a good time without spending money. - answer-- We cannot go out until the
restaurant
opens.
- We are trying to save money.
Most students in the class scored less than 70% on the exam. This means that the exam was
too
difficult to accurately assess student learning. Therefore, as exams are supposed to
accurately assess
student learning, the exam must be revised and readministered.
Which statement is the conclusion of the above argument?
- The exam must be revised and readministered.
- Some students in the class scored higher than 70% on the exam.
- Exams are supposed to accurately assess student learning.
- Most students in the class scored less than 70% on the exam. - answer-The exam must be
revised and
readministered.
Which sentences are arguments? Choose 2 answers.
- We know the student cheated on the exam because the instructor caught the student
stealing
glances at their neighbor's test.
- The student only cheated on the exam because their financial aid depended on it.
- No one has ever been to the moon, so we do not know that it is not made of cheese.
- If you suspect you have been infected with rabies, then you should contact a medical
professional
immediately. - answer-- We know the student cheated on the exam because the instructor
caught the
student stealing glances at their neighbor's test.
- No one has ever been to the moon, so we do not know that it is not made of cheese.
Which pairs of sentences are arguments? Choose 2 answers.
- Every time I walk by here, Chris is doing nothing. Chris must not do anything with the
available time.
- We need to act now to reverse greenhouse gas emissions. If we do not, the earth will soon
and Evidence |Updated 2026
Which sentence is a non-proposition?
- If the burglar did not go out the front door, they must have gone out a window.
- The earth is the third planet from the sun.
- Where are the keys to my car?
- Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. - answer-Where are the keys to my
car?
Did the company really close that deal? It has had a great year. Where is the president right
now? Let's
go ask whether the deal was closed.
In the above paragraph, which sentence expresses a proposition?
- Where is the president right now?
- Did the company really close that deal?
- Let's go ask whether the deal was closed.
- It has had a great year. - answer-It has had a great year.
Propositions - answer-Statements that can be true or false.
Non-propositions - answer-Sentences that are not statements about matters of fact (or
fiction). They
do not make a claim that can be true or false.
Which sentence expresses a complex proposition?
- Birthday parties can be really fun.
- The cat ate the food, but did not like it.
- Too many employees are used to high-stress work environments in the United States.
- Why did the monkey escape, and who is responsible? - answer-The cat ate the food, but
did not like
it.
If the computer is not fixed, then the company either needs to buy a new one or will not be
,able to
keep up productivity.
Which of the following breaks down the complex proposition above into the simple
propositions?
- If the computer is not fixed, then the company needs to buy a new one. The company will
not be
able to keep up productivity.
- The computer is not fixed. The company needs to buy a new computer. The company will
not be able
to keep up productivity.
- The computer is not fixed. The company either needs to buy a new one or will not be able
to keep up
productivity.
- The company does not have enough computers. - answer-The computer is not fixed. The
company
needs to buy a new computer. The company will not be able to keep up productivity.
Simple propositions - answer-Simple propositions have no internal logical structure,
meaning whether
they are true or false does not depend on whether part of them is true or false. They are
simply true
or false on their own.
Complex propositions - answer-Complex propositions have internal logical structure,
meaning they are
composed of simple propositions. Whether they are true or false depends on whether their
parts are
true or false.
If the new employee wants to succeed, then they need to show up on time. How many times
have we
heard the manager complain about tardiness? Nobody likes a 7 a.m. start time, but it was in
the job
description. We should remind the new employee how important this is.
Which is a simple proposition that is expressed in the above paragraph?
- The new employee wants to succeed.
- How many times have we heard the manager complain about tardiness?
- The employees look out for each other.
- If the new employee wants to succeed, then they need to show up on time. - answer-The
new
,employee wants to succeed.
The U.S. healthcare system is difficult to navigate, and this negatively affects many of us.
Many people
are unsure exactly how their health insurance coverage works and are not sure where they
can go to
get care. What can be done to improve this? If changes are not made soon, the problem will
only get
worse.
Which is a simple proposition that is expressed in the above paragraph?
- Many people are not sure where they can go to get care.
- The U.S. healthcare system is difficult to navigate, and this negatively affects many of us.
- What can be done to improve this?
- Many people are unsure exactly how their health insurance coverage works and are not
sure where
they can go to get care. - answer-Many people are not sure where they can go to get care.
Bad inferential structure - answer-Every argument with the same structure as this
argument is bad
(invalid or weak). The premises do not, in fact, demonstrate or maybe even support the
conclusion. In
other words, we can accept the premises as true without being compelled to accept the
conclusion.
There is something wrong with this argument's general structure.
False premise - answer-This particular argument has a premise/assumption that is false.
There is
something wrong with this argument's particular content.
Conclusion Indicators - answer-Therefore, so, it follows that, hence, thus, entails that, we
may
conclude that, implies that, wherefore, as a result
Premise Indicators - answer-Because, for, given that, in that, as, since, as indicated by
"Since we cannot go out until the restaurant opens, and given that we are trying to save
money, we
should just hang out here until closer to dinner."
Which statements are the premises of the following argument? Choose 2 answers.
- We cannot go out until the restaurant opens.
- We are trying to save money.
, - We should just hang out here until closer to dinner.
- We can have a good time without spending money. - answer-- We cannot go out until the
restaurant
opens.
- We are trying to save money.
Most students in the class scored less than 70% on the exam. This means that the exam was
too
difficult to accurately assess student learning. Therefore, as exams are supposed to
accurately assess
student learning, the exam must be revised and readministered.
Which statement is the conclusion of the above argument?
- The exam must be revised and readministered.
- Some students in the class scored higher than 70% on the exam.
- Exams are supposed to accurately assess student learning.
- Most students in the class scored less than 70% on the exam. - answer-The exam must be
revised and
readministered.
Which sentences are arguments? Choose 2 answers.
- We know the student cheated on the exam because the instructor caught the student
stealing
glances at their neighbor's test.
- The student only cheated on the exam because their financial aid depended on it.
- No one has ever been to the moon, so we do not know that it is not made of cheese.
- If you suspect you have been infected with rabies, then you should contact a medical
professional
immediately. - answer-- We know the student cheated on the exam because the instructor
caught the
student stealing glances at their neighbor's test.
- No one has ever been to the moon, so we do not know that it is not made of cheese.
Which pairs of sentences are arguments? Choose 2 answers.
- Every time I walk by here, Chris is doing nothing. Chris must not do anything with the
available time.
- We need to act now to reverse greenhouse gas emissions. If we do not, the earth will soon
