Recommended Practice - Recognizing Arguments Handout Answer Key - Week #03
1) Conclusion= Arthur Lee Allen was the Zodiac Killer
Premise= A year before the first killing, he told a friend he was going to kill some people, write letter to newspapers, and call himself Zodiac.
2) Conclusion= Aaron Kosminski was Jack the Ripper
Premise= Aaron Kosminski's DNA was found on some clothing of one of Jack the Ripper's victims
3) Conclusion= Luis Garavito should have been sentenced to more than 22 years
Premise= Luis Garavito killed at least 147 young boys
4) Conclusion= John Wayne Gacy shouldn't have been allowed to sell his paintings
Premise= John Wayne Gacy admitted to killing 33 people.
5) Conclusion= It's time to abolish capital punishment
Premise= It's inevitable that innocent people will be executed.
6) Conclusion= We should keep capital punishment
Premise= Capital punishment deters some violent crime
7) Conclusion= There's nothing wrong with raising, killing and eating animals
Premise= We've been raising, killing and eating animals for thousands of years.
8) Conclusion= Intentionally harming a cow or a pig is just as immoral as intentionally harming a human
Premise= All three species can feel pain.
9) Conclusion= We shouldn't act like collateral damage is as bad as terrorism
Premise= The nature of terrorism is that one intentionally harms noncombatants
10) Conclusion= Terrorism should be treated like a crime
Premise= If you treat terrorism like an act of war, eventually countries will attempt to adopt terrorism as a legitimate military tactic.
11) Conclusion= Martin Luther King Jr. would have been a great President.
Premise= He knew how to leverage unwilling politicians to achieve justice; and Congress was full of politicians who needed to be leveraged to achieve justice.
12) Conclusion= Vice President Garret Hobart would have got a lot done if he hadn't died shortly before President McKinley was assassinated.
Premise= A lot of congressional representatives owed Vice President Garret Hobart political favors
13) Conclusion= Vice President Henry Wallace would have become President in 1945
Premise= If Vice President Henry Wallace hadn't publicly disagreed with President Roosevelt so much, he would have got re-elected with Roosevelt in 1944
14) Conclusion= Senator Huey Long never could have been elected President
Premise= Long openly advocated a cap on personal wealth, every dollar one earned above that cap would be collected as a tax
15) Conclusion= It's good William Jennings Bryant never became President
Premise= William Jennings Bryant repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to promote laws based on white protestants' bigotry toward others
16) Not an argument. Conditional Statement
17) Conclusion= Samuel Tilden should have become President in 1876
Premise= Tilden got more votes than Rutherford Hayes
18) Not an argument. Explanation (aka, Causal Argument)
19) Conclusion= Bill Clinton can become President again
Premise= The Constitution allows him to be elected Vice President; and he could become President if his President dies while in office
20) Not an argument. Performative Language
21) Conclusion= You should transfer to UC Davis
Premise= UC Davis has a good Biology program
Premise= UC Davis is the most bike-friendly college in the state
22) Conclusion= You'd enjoy being a student at San Francisco State
Premise= San Francisco State has a good Economics program
Premise= San Francisco State is in a big city
23) Conclusion= You should apply at UC Merced.
Premise= UC Merced has a good Agriculture program
Premise= You want to study Agriculture
24) Conclusion= You should go to UC Santa Cruz
Premise= UC Santa Cruz has a great Marine Biology program
Premise= UC Santa Cruz has good housing on campus
25) Conclusion= You should go to Humboldt.
Premise= Cal State Humboldt is close close enough to home to visit on the weekends
Premise= Cal State Humboldt has a high percentage of graduating students getting accepted at California graduate schools
Premise= You can afford to go to Cal State Humboldt without any loans
26) Not an argument. Directive Language
27) Conclusion= You should go there
Premise= Every student receives a scholarship for free tuition, room, and board
Premise= The students learn practical skills by running a ranch on campus
Premise= You're required to study Philosophy every term
28) Conclusion= You should consider going to Reed College
Premise= Reed requires students to study Liberal Arts classes and science classes
Premise= Reed is the only college with a student-run nuclear reactor
29) Conclusion= I should go to St. John's in New Mexico
Premise= St. John's requires every student to major in Liberal Arts
Premise= St. John's doesn't have a nuclear reactor on campus
30) Not an argument. (Unsupported) Statement
31) Not an argument. Unsupported Statement.
32) Conclusion= We should go to Peets in Montgomery Village.
Premise= You usually want to stay at cafes longer than me.
Premise= I can go to Copperfields Books while you're at Peets.
33) Conclusion= We should go to Coffee Catz.
Premise= Coffee Catz is on our way to Jessie's house.
Premise= We need to see Jessie today.
34) Not an argument. Performative Language
35) Not an argument. Expressive Language
36) Not an argument. Directive Language
37) Not an argument. Explanation (aka, Causal Statement).
38) Conclusion= You should work with me at Cotati Cafe.
Premise= You live in Cotati.
39) Conclusion= You should come to Aqus.
Premise= Aqus has wonderful community events.
40) Conclusion= I don't think I should go to Starbucks.
Premise= Starbucks' coffee doesn't taste good.
Premise= Starbucks uses unhealthy ingredients in their baked goods.
Premise= Starbucks exploits their employees.
Premise= I care about these things.
41) Conclusion= Star Trek: The Original Series was the best science fiction TV show ever
Premise= Star Trek: The Original Series had the most memorable characters
Premise= Star Trek: The Original Series spawned more spin offs than any show
42) Conclusion= Star Trek: We should watch Star Trek: Next Generation next time
Premise= Star Trek: Next Generation has better plots
Premise= Star Trek: Next Generation has more diverse themes
43) Conclusion= I recommend you watch Star Trek: Enterprise next
Premise= You like science fiction that seems realistic and low key
Premise= Star Trek: Enterprise is the most realistic and low key Star Trek series
44) Conclusion= We should watch the movie Alien Nation instead of the TV show
Premise= The movie Alien Nation was a more thoughtful allegorical study on prejudice and stereotyping.
45) Conclusion= We should watch Lost in Space
Premise= Lost in Space is a great science fiction show for kids
Premise= You have kids
46) Conclusion= If you're going to watch Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, I recommend you start with Season #3
Premise= Starting with Season #3, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine became the most thoughtful and captivating science fiction TV ever
Premise= You need you're science fiction to be both
47) Not an argument. (Unsupported) Statement
48) Conclusion= You have to watch The Prisoner
Premise= The Prisoner is entertaining
Premise= The Prisoner is suspenseful
Premise= The Prisoner sometimes is funny
Premise= The Prisoner always is thoughtful
49) Conclusion= The best science fiction TV show ever has to be Doctor Who
Premise= Doctor Who managed to stay entertaining for over a generation
Premise= Doctor Who stayed interesting by reinventing its characters
Premise= Everyone likes Doctor Who
Premise= If you don't like Doctor Who, you're probably just prejudiced against British TV
50) Not an argument. Directive Language