Argument or Not?
Plausible Premises?
Does it follow?
Valid, Strong, Weak, or Invalid
Trivia
100
Why won’t you help me? Are you mad? Are you unable?
No, Even if the are rhetorically convincing, questions aren't arguments
100
All brunettes are evil. She is a brunette. She must be evil.
No, it is not plausible that all people with brunette hair are evil.
100
Runners wear light clothing and shoes. Therefore it is easy to run five miles a day.
This does not follow because the premise tells us nothing about what makes running difficult or easy.
100
Joe is single. So Joe was never married.
The alternative that Joe is divorced is reasonably likely, so this argument is weak.
100
Who is on the fifty dollar bill?
Grant
200
You should buy this computer because it has 1 TB of memory and 6 GB of RAM.
Yes, and the premises are that it has 1TB of memory and 6GB of RAM.
200
Training in math helps accountants have good careers, so all accountants should learn math.
Yes, it is plausible that accountants would benefit from math skills.
200
This class is in the morning, so it costs less than afternoon classes.
This does not follow because the premise gives us no reason to think that morning classes are less expensive than those in the afternoon.
200
The cat meows when he's hungry. He's meowing now, so he must be hungry.
This is weak because the cat could be meowing for attention. Hunger isn't the only possibility.
200
What is the Nevada State bird?
Mountain Bluebird
300
Walk the dog at noon and at 5:00pm. Wash the dishes, and fold the laundry.
No, instructions and commands aren't arguments.
300
Public speaking skills are important for politicians, so all politicians take speech classes.
Yes, even though we can't know if all politicians take speech classes, it is plausible that they would value public speaking skills.
300
All mammals are warm-blooded. Dogs are mammals, so dogs are warm blooded.
This conclusion follows the premises.
300
The defendant intended to kill the victim. He bought a gun, practiced on a target with her name written on it, and stalked her for two days.
This is a valid argument as long as the premises are proven to be plausible.
300
How far is it from Reno to Las Vegas?
453 miles.
400
You shouldn’t buy a Dodge since they’ve had three recalls this year.
Yes, and the premise is that they've had three recalls.
400
All dogs are innocent, so all dogs go to heaven.
Yes, it is plausible that all dogs can fit a certain definition of innocence, but this is not a strong argument.
400
We can put a man on Mars, so we can cure cancer.
This does not follow because the premise and conclusion deal with different fields of science.
400
James has a gun, so he shot Louise.
This is invalid because the conclusion doesn't follow the premise.
400
What is the name of the drummer for the Beatles?
Ringo Star
500
How could she win the election? She’s a terrible choice because she knows nothing about city government.
Yes, even though there is a question, a valid argument follows.
500
Asians are good at math, and Jay is Asian, so he must be good at math.
No. This is a stereotype, and you can't trust stereotypes as a premise for an argument.
500
Two years ago, Jamie’s teeth were crooked. Now they are straight. Therefore Jaime had braces between then and now.
While there are other explanations, braces are by far the most likely reason for Jamie's straight teeth, so we can safely say that it follows.
500
My car was black yesterday, and it is white today, so someone must have painted it.
This isn't the only explanation, but it is the most likely one, so this is a strong argument.
500
Name the four Presidents whose faces are on Mount Rushmore.
Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Teddy Roosevelt.
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