WGU D265 - WGU - CRITICAL THINKING - REASON AND EVIDENCE ALREADY GRADED A+

WGU D265 - WGU - CRITICAL THINKING - REASON AND EVIDENCE
ALREADY GRADED A+

Question 1
PROPOSITIONS are statements that:
A) Are commands or questions.
B) Are always true by definition.
C) Can be true or false.
D) Are only used in deductive arguments.
E) Only make claims about fictional matters.
Correct Answer: C) Are statements that can be true or false
Rationale: Propositions are statements that can be true or false.

Question 2
NON-PROPOSITIONS are sentences that:
A) Are complex statements composed of simple arguments.
B) Do not make a claim that can be true or false.
C) Have internal logic structure.
D) Are always factual statements.
E) Are used to identify premises.
Correct Answer: B) Are sentences that are not statements about matters of fact or fiction.
They do not make a claim that can be true or false.
Rationale: Non-propositions are sentences that are not statements about matters of fact or
fiction. They do not make a claim that can be true or false.

Question 3
SIMPLE PROPOSITIONS are best characterized by which feature?
A) They are composed of smaller, true or false statements.
B) They have no internal logic structure.
C) They are always complex arguments.
D) They contain conclusion indicators.
E) They are always highly probable.
Correct Answer: B) Have no internal logic structure, meaning whether they are true or false
does not depend on whether a part of them is true or false. They are simply true or false on

,their own. (Example: Harry Potter wears glasses. The sky is blue.)
Rationale: Simple propositions have no internal logic structure, meaning they are simply
true or false on their own.

Question 4
COMPLEX PROPOSITIONS are propositions that:
A) Are always classified as non-propositions.
B) Are composed of simple propositions.
C) Must be true to be considered valid.
D) Do not require premises.
E) Must contain only one premise indicator.
Correct Answer: B) Have internal logic structure, meaning they are composed of simple
propositions. Whether they are true or false depends on whether their parts are true or
false. (Example: The sky is blue, but it does not look blue to me right now. The cat ate the
food, but he did not like it. The GDP of Canada is either $3 trillion or $12 trillion.)
Rationale: Complex propositions have internal logic structure, meaning they are composed
of simple propositions.

Question 5
Which of the following words are used to identify Independent Propositions?
A) THEREFORE, SO, THUS
B) BECAUSE, FOR, SINCE
C) AND, OR, EITHER, BUT, IF, THEN
D) IT FOLLOWS THAT, HENCE
E) WE MAY CONCLUDE THAT, IMPLIES THAT
Correct Answer: C) AND, OR, EITHER, BUT, IF, THEN.
Rationale: Words like AND, OR, EITHER, BUT, IF, THEN are used to join simple
propositions into complex ones (independent propositions).

Question 6
Which of the following is a CONCLUSION INDICATOR?
A) BECAUSE
B) GIVEN THAT

,C) AS INDICATED BY
D) THEREFORE
E) FOR
Correct Answer: D) THEREFORE
Rationale: Conclusion indicators are words used to signal the final statement or claim of an
argument. THEREFORE, SO, IT FOLLOWS THAT, HENCE, THUS, ENTAILS THAT,
WE MAY CONCLUDE THAT, IMPLIES THAT, WHEREFORE, AND AS A RESULT.

Question 7
Which of the following is a PREMISE INDICATOR?
A) SO
B) HENCE
C) SINCE
D) IT FOLLOWS THAT
E) IMPLIES THAT
Correct Answer: C) SINCE
Rationale: Premise indicators are words used to signal the statements that provide support
for the conclusion. BECAUSE, FOR, GIVEN THAT, AS, SINCE, AS INDICATED BY.

Question 8
DEDUCTIVE ARGUMENTS are characterized by premises that:
A) Make the conclusion highly probable, but not certain.
B) Concern the informational content of the argument.
C) Guarantee or necessitate the conclusion.
D) Are always derived from personal experience.
E) Are arguments where the best available explanation is chosen.
Correct Answer: C) Arguments where the premises guarantee or necessitate the conclusion.
Rationale: Deductive arguments are arguments where the premises guarantee or necessitate
the conclusion.

Question 9
INDUCTION ARGUMENTS are arguments where the premises:
A) Guarantee the truth of the conclusion.

, B) Concern the structure of the argument.
C) Necessitate the conclusion from mathematical laws.
D) Make the conclusion probable.
E) Are always logically valid by definition.
Correct Answer: D) Arguments where the premises make the conclusion probable.
Rationale: Induction arguments are arguments where the premises make the conclusion
probable.

Question 10
INFERENCE TO THE BEST EXPLANATION (or ABDUCTION) is a type of argument where:
A) The premises logically guarantee the conclusion.
B) The argument must be formally valid.
C) The best available explanation is chosen as the correct explanation.
D) The conclusion is based on an analogy.
E) The premises are derived only from authority.
Correct Answer: C) Arguments where the best available explanation is chosen as the correct
explanation.
Rationale: Inference to the Best Explanation (Abduction) is an argument where the best
available explanation is chosen as the correct explanation.

Question 11
A FORMAL FALLACY is an error that concerns the:
A) Informational content of an argument.
B) Ethical nature of the argument's premises.
C) Structure of an argument.
D) Credibility of the source making the claim.
E) Probability of the conclusion.
Correct Answer: C) Concerns the structure of an argument
Rationale: A formal fallacy concerns the structure of an argument.

Question 12
An INFORMAL FALLACY is an error that concerns the:
A) Logical validity of the argument's structure.