Free Practice Quiz Question List

3 Analyzing Arguments Online Quiz Questions

Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 3 Analyzing Arguments, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.

20 questions

True or false

1 point

True or false: Even if every premise is true, an argument may still be weak if the premises do not adequately support its conclusion.

A
True
B
False

Choose one

1 point

A town records more bicycle trips after adding a protected lane on one street. A council member says, “Since bicycle trips increased there, we should add a protected lane on another busy street too.” Which statement is the council member’s conclusion?

A
The town recorded more bicycle trips after it added a protected lane.
B
The town should add a protected lane on another busy street.
C
The town has several busy streets.
D
The number of bicycle trips is unrelated to street design.

Written response

1 point

What term names an unstated idea that an argument depends on?

Fill in the blank

1 point

In an argument, the reasons offered to support a central claim are , and the supported central claim is the .

Choose one

1 point

Consider this argument: “Everyone who holds a park permit has completed a safety course. Mira holds a park permit. Therefore, Mira has completed a safety course.” Which assessment is justified by the argument’s structure?

A
The argument is invalid because it does not give a statistical estimate.
B
The argument is invalid because its conclusion concerns one person.
C
The argument is valid because the premises make the conclusion unavoidable.
D
The argument is sound because its premises have been proven true.

Choose one

1 point

A planner argues, “Because the current bus route leaves many neighborhoods without evening service, the city should add a late bus.” How should the statement about the current route be classified?

A
It is a premise because it gives a reason for the recommendation.
B
It is the conclusion because it follows the word “because.”
C
It is an assumption because every sentence following “because” is unstated.
D
It is evidence that proves the recommendation must be true.

Fill in the blank

1 point

A statement supported by earlier premises and then used as a reason for a later conclusion is an .

Choose one

1 point

A shop changes its window display and then records higher weekend sales. The manager concludes that the new display increased sales. Which analysis best fits this inference?

A
It is deductively valid because the increase occurred after the change.
B
It is inductive; the pattern may support the conclusion without ruling out other explanations.
C
It is sound because an observed increase makes the conclusion necessarily true.
D
It is deductive because the premises refer to a specific case.

True or false

1 point

True or false: An inductive argument can provide strong support for its conclusion without making that conclusion certain.

A
True
B
False

Choose all

1 point

Which actions belong in a careful evaluation of an argument? Select all that apply.

A
Check whether the premises are credible, relevant, and sufficiently supported.
B
Assume the conclusion is true whenever one premise is true.
C
Ask how strongly the premises support the conclusion if they were true.
D
Treat every conclusion containing “therefore” as deductively valid.
E
Look for hidden assumptions and alternative explanations.

Choose all

1 point

A survey is used to infer what a whole city thinks about a proposal. Which features would strengthen the survey’s support for that conclusion? Select all that apply.

A
Whether the sample represents the wider population
B
Whether the result matches the conclusion the survey organizers prefer
C
Whether the sample is large enough for the claim being made
D
Whether the sample was collected without bias
E
Whether the conclusion is phrased as a certainty

Open ended

1 point

A neighborhood association asks the first 20 people leaving a popular café whether residents want a new parking restriction. Eighteen support it, so the association claims that most residents support the restriction. Explain what kind of reasoning this is and how you would assess the strength of its support.

Choose one

1 point

A neighborhood group argues: “Drivers often fail to yield to pedestrians, and several residents have reported difficulty crossing there. The intersection also has heavy traffic during the morning commute. Therefore, the city should add a pedestrian crossing at the intersection.” Which statement is the argument’s main conclusion?

A
The intersection has heavy traffic during the morning commute.
B
The city should add a pedestrian crossing at the intersection.
C
Several residents have reported difficulty crossing there.
D
Drivers often fail to yield to pedestrians.

Choose one

1 point

Consider this argument: “Every registered vehicle in the fleet has passed inspection. This van is registered in the fleet. Therefore, this van has passed inspection.” What does the argument’s structure establish if its premises are true?

A
The conclusion must be true if both premises are true.
B
The conclusion is probably true, but the premises could be true while it is false.
C
The argument is invalid because it uses the word “therefore.”
D
The conclusion is true only if the vehicle is safe to drive.

Choose one

1 point

A manager argues, “Our team completed its annual training, so we will make fewer errors next month.” Which unstated assumption is most important to this reasoning?

A
The team has completed its annual training.
B
The team expects to make fewer errors next month.
C
Completing the training will help reduce the team’s errors.
D
The team’s errors were recorded last month.

Choose one

1 point

A department reports that its staff completed a new training program and that customer complaints fell the following month. It concludes that the training caused the decrease. Which evaluation best distinguishes the evidence from the inference?

A
The reports must be false because they come from the department.
B
The reports may be accurate, but the argument has not established that the policy caused the improvement.
C
The conclusion must be true if the reports are accurate.
D
The argument is deductively valid because it uses the word “therefore.”

True or false

1 point

True or false: Even if every premise in an argument is true, the argument may still provide poor support for its conclusion.

A
True
B
False

Written response

1 point

What is the standard term for a deductive argument that is valid and has true premises?

Written response

1 point

What is the standard term often used for an inductive argument whose premises are true and provide strong support for its conclusion?

Written response

1 point

What is a statement that can be supported or challenged called?