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Strong/Weak Arguments - Beginner-Intermediate Level: factual basis BEGINNER-INTERMEDIATE

This deep dive ★ worksheet contains 20 beginner-intermediate-level strong/weak arguments problems. Worksheet 11 of 30 focuses on factual basis. Practice logical strength, persuasive arguments, reasoning strength with our step-by-step solutions. Difficulty: building on fundamentals with moderate challenges. Recommended for developing learners.

📝 Worksheet 11 of 30 • 20 questions • ⏱️ Estimated time: 20 minutes • 🎯 Beginner-intermediate level

What you'll learn in this worksheet:
Your progress through Strong/Weak Arguments
Worksheet 11 of 30 (36% complete)

Question 1

What missing counterfactual would best test this claim?
The key counterfactual is the 'no-policy' baseline. If jobs would have grown by 50,000 anyway due to economic recovery, the tax cut had no effect.
counterfactual, causation, evaluation

Question 2

Is this argument deductive or inductive?
Deductive arguments aim for logical necessity. If premises are true, conclusion must be true. This is a classic syllogism.
induction, deduction, reasoning type

Question 3

In this argument: 'All humans are mortal. Socrates is human. Therefore, Socrates is mortal.' Which statement is the CONCLUSION?
The conclusion is what the argument tries to prove. The premises ('All humans are mortal' and 'Socrates is human') support the conclusion 'Socrates is mortal.'
structure, premises, conclusion, logic

Question 4

Argument: Smoking causes lung cancer. John smokes. Therefore, John will get lung cancer. Evaluate the logical validity:
Confuses statistical risk with certainty; smoking increases but doesn't guarantee cancer
arguments, validity, logic

Question 5

Argument by analogy: 'Social media causes mental health problems in teens, similar to how tobacco causes physical health problems. We regulate tobacco, so we should regulate social media similarly.' What is the most important DIFFERENCE that weakens this analogy?
A critical disanalogy: tobacco has no redeeming benefits, while social media has legitimate uses. This makes the analogy weaker.
analogy, comparison, reasoning

Question 6

What is the primary weakness in this argument?
Small, non-random sample (n=5) cannot support population-wide conclusions regardless of unanimity.
statistics, probability, base rates

Question 7

Argument: Smoking causes lung cancer. John smokes. Therefore, John will get lung cancer. Evaluate the logical validity:
Confuses statistical risk with certainty; smoking increases but doesn't guarantee cancer
arguments, validity, logic

Question 8

Proposal: Universal basic income of $1000/month for all citizens Argument: Pilot studies in Finland and Kenya show UBI reduces poverty and improves mental health without reducing employment What is the MOST significant weakness or missing element in this argument?
Key weakness: Long-term economic effects unknown. This limits the argument's strength despite other merits.
arguments, multi-criteria, comprehensive

Question 9

Context: Corporate board meeting about remote work policy Argument: Employees seem happier working from home Which unstated assumption does this argument rely on?
Hidden assumption: Happiness alone justifies business policy changes. Without this assumption, the argument's conclusion may not follow from its premises.
arguments, context, relevance

Question 10

Proposal: Implementing a four-day work week nationwide Argument: Reducing work hours could harm economic competitiveness against countries with longer work weeks Evaluate this argument across multiple criteria (evidence quality, relevance, comprehensiveness):
Evidence: Moderate, Relevance: Strong, Comprehensiveness: Moderate. Overall: Moderate to Strong
arguments, multi-criteria, comprehensive

Question 11

In this argument: 'All humans are mortal. Socrates is human. Therefore, Socrates is mortal.' Which statement is the CONCLUSION?
The conclusion is what the argument tries to prove. The premises ('All humans are mortal' and 'Socrates is human') support the conclusion 'Socrates is mortal.'
structure, premises, conclusion, logic

Question 12

Issue: Should social media platforms be held liable for content posted by users? Argument A: Yes, because there's too much fake news online Argument B: Yes, because platforms profit from engagement and have technological capability to monitor and filter harmful content Which argument is stronger?
Argument A: Identifies problem but doesn't explain why platform liability is the solution. Argument B: Links profit motive with responsibility and acknowledges technical feasibility
arguments, comparative, analysis

Question 13

Is this argument deductive or inductive? What makes it strong or weak?
Inductive arguments generalize from specific cases. They cannot be 'valid' like deduction; instead, they are stronger with larger, more representative samples.
induction, deduction, reasoning type

Question 14

Argument by analogy: 'Social media causes mental health problems in teens, similar to how tobacco causes physical health problems. We regulate tobacco, so we should regulate social media similarly.' What is the most important DIFFERENCE that weakens this analogy?
A critical disanalogy: tobacco has no redeeming benefits, while social media has legitimate uses. This makes the analogy weaker.
analogy, comparison, reasoning

Question 15

Issue: Should the minimum wage be increased to $15/hour? Argument A: Yes, because workers earning minimum wage cannot afford basic living costs in most cities, and consumer spending will increase when workers have more money Argument B: No, because minimum wage jobs are meant for teenagers, not adults Which argument is stronger?
Argument A: Addresses both social justice and economic stimulation with clear causal reasoning. Argument B: Based on outdated assumption; data shows many adults work minimum wage jobs
arguments, comparative, analysis

Question 16

Issue: Should the minimum wage be increased to $15/hour? Argument A: No, because minimum wage jobs are meant for teenagers, not adults Argument B: Yes, because workers earning minimum wage cannot afford basic living costs in most cities, and consumer spending will increase when workers have more money Which argument is stronger?
Argument A: Based on outdated assumption; data shows many adults work minimum wage jobs. Argument B: Addresses both social justice and economic stimulation with clear causal reasoning
arguments, comparative, analysis

Question 17

What is the logical form of this argument?
Form: If P then Q. Q is true. Therefore P. This is affirming the consequent, a formal fallacy. The ground could be wet from sprinklers, not rain.
structure, premises, conclusion, logic

Question 18

What missing counterfactual would best test this claim?
The key counterfactual is the 'no-policy' baseline. If jobs would have grown by 50,000 anyway due to economic recovery, the tax cut had no effect.
counterfactual, causation, evaluation

Question 19

Argument: 'After we started the job training program, unemployment went down. So the program caused the decrease.' What important alternative explanation is ignored?
This commits the 'post hoc' fallacy (after this, therefore because of this). Without a control group or considering national trends, we can't establish causation.
causation, fallacy, correlation

Question 20

Proposal: Implementing a four-day work week nationwide Argument: People have worked 5 days a week for decades, so we shouldn't change it Evaluate this argument across multiple criteria (evidence quality, relevance, comprehensiveness):
Evidence: Weak, Relevance: Weak, Comprehensiveness: Weak. Overall: Weak
arguments, multi-criteria, comprehensive
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