Recommend Practice: Recognizing Fallacies Handout #3

Indicate any fallacy committed by each italicized and red passage:

1) Nick: You should go to the instructor's office.

Erin: Don't I need an appointment?

Nick: No.

2) Nick: You should go to the instructor's office.

Erin: Really?

Nick: Yeah; for you might improve your grade.

3) Erin: I don't think I'm going to office hours..

Nick: You should go, because you're getting a D in the class.

Erin: There's nothing wrong with that. It's not like I'm failing.

4) Erin: I don't think I'm going to office hours.

Nick: You should go, because it can help you pass the class.

Erin: There's nothing wrong with skipping office hours. After all, you did.

5) I guess I should go to an office hour; since everyone thinks I should.

6) I should identify some confusing examples before going to office hours. I know Debbie is going to say I shouldn't; but she's not even passing the class.

7) I should identify some confusing examples before going to office hours. I know Debbie is going to say I shouldn't; but I haven't tried that before.

8) Of course Victor got an A because he brought confusing examples to office hours. Think about it. He was getting a B, then he brought some confusing examples to office hours, then he started getting an A.

9) I got an A after bringing confusing examples to office hours. So I'm pretty sure most students who bring confusing examples to office hours get an A.

10) I've never heard of any good reasons to bring examples to office hours. So I don't think I should.

11) You don't need to bring examples to office hours. For it's not like you're going to take the final without studying.

12) If you don't bring examples to office hours, you won't know what to ask, you'll fail the class, and you'll never graduate. You definitely should bring examples to office hours.

13) If you don't bring examples to office hours, you'll never pass the class. You definitely should bring examples to office hours.

14) It really is this simple. Harry lives with two college drop outs who played video games instead of studying for classes. I know he's going to say you shouldn't bring examples to office hours; but he's wrong.

15) It's really this simple. Either you you cheated or you went to office hours every day; and you didn't go to office hours every day; so you cheated.

16) Monte: I can't believe your sister Deb cheated on her Critical Thinking exam.

Jason: No she didn't.

Monte: Yeah, she did; for someone said they heard Debbie cheated on it.

Jason: But there are two students named Debbie in that class.

Monte: Oh!

17) Monte: I can't believe your sister cheated on her Critical Thinking exam.

Jason: No she didn't.

Monte: Yeah, she did; for someone told me they heard Debbie cheated on an exam.

Jason: Huh, I don't know if that's true; but, did you hear it was a Critical Thinking exam? For she's taking five classes.

Monte: Good point.

18) Monte: I don't think Deb should get in trouble for cheating on her Critical Thinking exam.

Jason: Why not?

Monte: Everyone cheats once in a while.

Jason: I don't see how that makes it okay.

19) Monte: I don't think there's anything wrong with cheating on a Critical Thinking exam.

Jason: Why not?

Monte: It's not like you're stealing something.

Jason: I don't see how that makes it okay.

20) Monte: It's okay if you cheat on your Critical Thinking exam.

Jason: Really?

Monte: Yeah, since you've never cheated before.

Jason: I don't see how that makes it okay.

21) Monte: I don't think I should get in trouble for cheating on the Critical Thinking exam.

Jason: Well, cheating is pretty serious.

Monte: I didn't cheat. I just strayed for a moment. So I just think I shouldn't get in trouble.

Jason: I don't know what that means.

22) You should go to UC Davis. For it's just better.

23) San Diego State is out of this world. So you should go there.

24) You should go to Chico State; since our family has been going there since 1947.

25) I'm sure Mateo is going to UC Santa Cruz; for he said he's going to school in California.

26) Manny hasn't given any good reasons to be a History Major; so I say he shouldn't.

27) I know Manny says you should major in Math; but he's just saying that so he can get into the Engineering program; so he's wrong.

28) There's nothing wrong with majoring in English; for you did, too.

29) I know Victor said you shouldn't major in Physics; but he's just plain wrong. Think about it, he's not even a good student.

30) You should major in Economics; since you got A's in both of the Economics classes you've taken, and you liked them.

31) You should major in Art History; for it might be a once in a life experience.

32) I just think Sociology is better; so you should major in it.

33) I'm pretty sure Taylor is majoring in Chemistry; since she said she's majoring in a science.

34) If you ask me, you should major in Accounting; for you've never tried that.

35) Well, if you ask me, I should major in Biology, because learning Biology is a life changer.

36) If you major in Philosophy, you'l end up jobless and miserable. Therefore, whatever you do, don't major in Philosophy.

37) You've always had full-time jobs over the summer; so, I think you should do that.

38) You've always had full-time jobs over the summer; so, I think you should take classes this summer.

39) Everyone thinks you should get a full-time job. Hence, I say you do that.

40) Everyone thinks you should get a full-time job. Hence, I say you should take classes this summer.

41) You should go on a vacation this summer. After all, it'll be a blast!

42) You should vacation in Oregon this summer, because it'll be cheaper.

43) Everyone thinks you'll like Death Valley; so you should go there.

44) You've never been to Yosemite. Therefore, you should go there.

45) You shouldn't go to Denali National Park; for it's colder.

46) There's nothing wrong with car camping; for you've done it, too.

47) You should try backpacking. Think about it. It's an American Tradition.

48) If you backpack in Glacier National Park, you'll get lost and die a slow, long and painful death; so you shouldn't backpack there.

49) If you backpack in the Sierra, you'll come back a different person. That's a great reason to say you need to do it.

50) Well, I know Leslie said she backpacked in California. Therefore, I'm sure she's backpacked in Lassen National Park, near Red Bluff, CA.