D265 Critical Thinking Reason and
Evidence Questions and ANSWERS
2023
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. -
✔️ 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. -
✔️ It has had a great year.
Propositions -
✔️ Statements that can be true or false.
Non-propositions -
✔️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? -
✔️ 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. -
✔️ 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 -
✔️ 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 -
✔️ 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. -
✔️ 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. -
✔️ Many people are not sure where they can go to get care.
Bad inferential structure -
✔️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 -
✔️This particular argument has a premise/assumption that is false. There is
something wrong with this argument's particular content.
Conclusion Indicators -
✔️Therefore, so, it follows that, hence, thus, entails that, we may conclude that,
implies that, wherefore, as a result
Premise Indicators -
✔️ 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. -
✔️- 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. -
✔️ 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. -
✔️ - 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.
Evidence Questions and ANSWERS
2023
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. -
✔️ 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. -
✔️ It has had a great year.
Propositions -
✔️ Statements that can be true or false.
Non-propositions -
✔️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? -
✔️ 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. -
✔️ 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 -
✔️ 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 -
✔️ 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. -
✔️ 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. -
✔️ Many people are not sure where they can go to get care.
Bad inferential structure -
✔️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 -
✔️This particular argument has a premise/assumption that is false. There is
something wrong with this argument's particular content.
Conclusion Indicators -
✔️Therefore, so, it follows that, hence, thus, entails that, we may conclude that,
implies that, wherefore, as a result
Premise Indicators -
✔️ 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. -
✔️- 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. -
✔️ 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. -
✔️ - 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.
