Logical Reasoning

PT125 · S4 · Q4 Ray: Cynthia claims that her car's trunk

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Ray: Cynthia claims that her car's trunk popped open because the car hit a pothole.

Evidence

Cynthia acknowledged that the trunk in that car had popped open on several other occasions.

On none of those previous occasions had the car hit a pothole.

Conclusion

Therefore, Cynthia mistakenly attributed the trunk’s popping open to the car’s having hit a pothole.

Evaluate

It’s quite possible that the pothole popped open her car’s trunk on the occasion discussed in the argument’s conclusion and yet speed bumps popped open her car’s trunk on the earlier occasions.

4.

The reasoning in Ray's argument is most vulnerable to criticism in that the argument

  1. fails to consider the possibility

    Out of Scope

    The trunks of other cars are not relevant to the argument

    2% picked this

  2. fails to consider the possibility

    Out of Scope

    Negative effects on a car's engine are not relevant to the argument.

    0% picked this

  3. presumes, without providing justification, that

    Wrong Flaw

    The argument does not assume that one event caused another. In the argument Ray denies that one thing caused another.

    6% picked this

  4. Correct

    fails to consider the possibility

    Why this is right

    This point out that the trunk popping open without hitting a pothole does not preclude the trunk popping open when hitting a pothole.

    Skill tested: Flaw · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

    89% picked this

  5. presumes the truth of the

    Wrong Flaw

    The argument does provide evidence for the conclusion, although that evidence is insufficient.

    3% picked this

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