Arguments Flashcards
If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true?
Identify the entailment/ must be true
Task:
-Identify a guaranteed entailment that follows logically from the a combination of the provide facts
Try the Truth Test–> ask does the statement have to be true, based on the facts
Look for strong (all, must, ever, everyone) and weak language (some, many, sometimes, usually)
Look for conditional statements–> Diagram them, and do the logically equivalent… make sure the last term goes firsts. TIP: the logic can only process the direction of the arrow (L-R), not against.
Look for relationships: Does X connect to Y, which connects with Z? You can predict that X connects with Z.
Which of the following logically follows from the statement above?
Identify the entailment/ must be true
Task:
-Identify a guaranteed entailment that follows logically from the a combination of the provide facts
Try the Truth Test–> ask does the statement have to be true, based on the facts
Look for strong (all, must, ever, everyone) and weak language (some, many, sometimes, usually)
Look for conditional statements–> Diagram them, and do the logically equivalent… make sure the last term goes firsts. TIP: the logic can only process the direction of the arrow (L-R), not against.
Look for relationships: Does X connect to Y, which connects with Z? You can predict that X connects with Z.
Which of the following can be properly inferred from the statement above?
Identify the entailment/ must be true
Task:
-Identify a guaranteed entailment that follows logically from the a combination of the provide facts
Try the Truth Test–> ask does the statement have to be true, based on the facts
Look for strong (all, must, ever, everyone) and weak language (some, many, sometimes, usually)
Look for conditional statements–> Diagram them, and do the logically equivalent… make sure the last term goes firsts. TIP: the logic can only process the direction of the arrow (L-R), not against.
Look for relationships: Does X connect to Y, which connects with Z? You can predict that X connects with Z.
Which one of the following, if true, most supports the argument above?
Strengthen
- Identify the conclusion and support
- Identify the gap: is there a gap in scope between
support and conclusion? does the topic shift? - Identify any common patterns: If the conclusion is causal in nature (X cause Y), a common strengthener might be an affirmation that the study was appropriate and relevant
- test each choice by adding to the original support, it should improve
*No effect can be correct on EXCEPT questions
Strengthen Except: Either weekend of no effect
Weaken Except: either strengthen or no effect
Which one of the following, if true, most strengthen’s the ecologists reasoning?
Strengthen
- Identify the conclusion and support
- Identify the gap: is there a gap in scope between
support and conclusion? does the topic shift? - Identify any common patterns: If the conclusion is causal in nature (X cause Y), a common strengthener might be an affirmation that the study was appropriate and relevant
- Test each choice by adding to the original support, it should improve
*No effect can be correct on EXCEPT questions
Strengthen Except: Either weekend of no effect
Weaken Except: either strengthen or no effect
Which one of the following, if true, most undermines the argument?
Weakener
1. Identify the conclusion and support
- Identify the gap: is there a gap in scope between
support and conclusion? does the topic shift? - Identify any common patterns: If the conclusion is causal in nature (X cause Y), a common weaker might be to provide an alternative cause (actually, Z caused Y)
- Test each choice by adding to the original support, it should worsen the conclusion
*No effect can be correct on EXCEPT questions
Strengthen Except: Either weekend of no effect
Weaken Except: either strengthen or no effect
Which one of the following represents the strongest counter to Ana’s argument?
Weakener
1. Identify the conclusion and support
- Identify the gap: is there a gap in scope between
support and conclusion? does the topic shift? - Identify any common patterns: If the conclusion is causal in nature (X cause Y), a common weaker might be to provide an alternative cause (actually, Z caused Y)
- Test each choice by adding to the original support, it should worsen the conclusion
*No effect can be correct on EXCEPT questions
Strengthen Except: Either weekend of no effect
Weaken Except: either strengthen or no effect
Which one of the following, if true, most casts a doubt on the reasoning above?
Weakener
1. Identify the conclusion and support
- Identify the gap: is there a gap in scope between
support and conclusion? does the topic shift? - Identify any common patterns: If the conclusion is causal in nature (X cause Y), a common weaker might be to provide an alternative cause (actually, Z caused Y)
- Test each choice by adding to the original support, it should worsen the conclusion
*No effect can be correct on EXCEPT questions
Strengthen Except: Either weekend of no effect
Weaken Except: either strengthen or no effect
Which one of the following is most supported by the information above?
Strongly Supported Inferences
- Understand the passage
- look for relationships: Does X connect with Y, which connects with Z?
- diagram conditional statements
- note strong language (All, must, any, ever)
- note weak language (some, may, many, sometimes)
- test the choices
- Ask “is it supported”?
Common wrong choices:
- Too strong/extreme–> goes beyond the truth of the passage
- Probably/might be true–> might be true but we can’t for 100% be certain from the info provided
Which one of the following can most reasonably be concluded on the basis of the information above?
Strongly Supported Inferences
- Understand the passage
- look for relationships: Does X connect with Y, which connects with Z?
- diagram conditional statements
- note strong language (All, must, any, ever)
- note weak language (some, may, many, sometimes)
- test the choices
- Ask “is it supported”?
Common wrong choices:
- Too strong/extreme–> goes beyond the truth of the passage
- Probably/might be true–> might be true but we can’t for 100% be certain from the info provided
The statements above, if true, most strongly supports which one of the following?
Strongly Supported Inferences
- Understand the passage
- look for relationships: Does X connect with Y, which connects with Z?
- diagram conditional statements
- note strong language (All, must, any, ever)
- note weak language (some, may, many, sometimes)
- test the choices
- Ask “is it supported”?
Common wrong choices:
- Too strong/extreme–> goes beyond the truth of the passage
- Probably/might be true–> might be true but we can’t for 100% be certain from the info provided
The dialogue provides most support for the claim that Sarah and Paul disagree over whether
Dispute
Identify the conclusion and support
- Test each choice
- Compare choices against the stimulus, not against each other
- Keep track of opinions (+) and (-)
On the basis of their statements, Winchell and Trent are committed to disagree over whether
Dispute
Identify the conclusion and support
- Test each choice
- Compare choices against the stimulus, not against each other
- Keep track of opinions (+) and (-)
The argument proceeds by
Identify the technique
- Make a prediction:
- what is the arguer doing in the conclusion?
refuting, supporting, predicting an event?
-What kind of support is the arguer using?
analogy, counterexample, appeal to authority, statistics, relying on scientific expert? - test choices
- compare each choice with the stimulus and ask yourself if every piece of that choice is illustrated in the passage. If the choice says that the arguer makes and generalization, asks “is there actually a generalization in the conclusion?”
*rethink the argument, replacing specific terms with general ones
Which of the following is a technique of reasoning used in the argument?
Identify the technique
- Make a prediction:
- what is the arguer doing in the conclusion?
refuting, supporting, predicting an event?
-What kind of support is the arguer using?
analogy, counterexample, appeal to authority, statistics, relying on scientific expert? - test choices
- compare each choice with the stimulus and ask yourself if every piece of that choice is illustrated in the passage. If the choice says that the arguer makes and generalization, asks “is there actually a generalization in the conclusion?”
*rethink the argument, replacing specific terms with general ones
In her argument, the executive’s reasoning does which one of the following?
Identify the technique
- Make a prediction:
- what is the arguer doing in the conclusion?
refuting, supporting, predicting an event?
-What kind of support is the arguer using?
analogy, counterexample, appeal to authority, statistics, relying on scientific expert? - test choices
- compare each choice with the stimulus and ask yourself if every piece of that choice is illustrated in the passage. If the choice says that the arguer makes and generalization, asks “is there actually a generalization in the conclusion?”
*rethink the argument, replacing specific terms with general ones
Speaker Z responds to speaker X’s argument by doing which of the following?
Identify the technique
- Make a prediction:
- what is the arguer doing in the conclusion?
refuting, supporting, predicting an event?
-What kind of support is the arguer using?
analogy, counterexample, appeal to authority, statistics, relying on scientific expert? - test choices
- compare each choice with the stimulus and ask yourself if every piece of that choice is illustrated in the passage. If the choice says that the arguer makes and generalization, asks “is there actually a generalization in the conclusion?”
*rethink the argument, replacing specific terms with general ones
The claim that XXX plays which one of the following roles in the argument?
Identify the Role
- Mark the statement in the question before reading
- Identify the conclusion and support
- Categorize the statement in the question
- What is the claim doing? how does it relate to the other statements? Is it a premise, conclusion, to both (sub-conclusion) - Match prediction to a choice
Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the claim that XXX?
Identify the Role
- Mark the statement in the question before reading
- Identify the conclusion and support
- Categorize the statement in the question
- What is the claim doing? how does it relate to the other statements? Is it a premise, conclusion, to both (sub-conclusion) - Match prediction to a choice