RLGN 104 CRITICAL THINKING ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
COMPLETE HUMANITIES STUDY GUIDE
●● 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.
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
COMPLETE HUMANITIES STUDY GUIDE
●● 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.
