D265 WGU Critical Thinking: Reason and Evidence
OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT EXAM
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
OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT EXAM
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
