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Strong/Weak Arguments - Intermediate Level: evidence support INTERMEDIATE

Level up your strong/weak arguments skills with this comprehensive review. 20 intermediate-level problems await in Worksheet 14 of 30. Focus area: evidence support. Learn argument quality, logical assessment, argument analysis through systematic practice. Designed for mid-level learners seeking moderate complexity with mixed patterns.

📝 Worksheet 14 of 30 • 20 questions • ⏱️ Estimated time: 20 minutes • 🎯 Intermediate level

What you'll learn in this worksheet:
Your progress through Strong/Weak Arguments
Worksheet 14 of 30 (46% complete)

Question 1

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 2

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 3

Context: Corporate board meeting about remote work policy Argument: Employees seem happier working from home In this context, how strong is this argument?
Weak argument in this context: Subjective observation without measurement or business impact analysis
arguments, context, relevance

Question 4

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: Yes, because it's been too long since the last minimum wage increase Which argument is stronger?
Argument A: Addresses both social justice and economic stimulation with clear causal reasoning. Argument B: Time passage alone doesn't justify policy change without addressing underlying conditions
arguments, comparative, analysis

Question 5

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 6

Argument: 'Ice cream sales and drowning deaths both rise together. Therefore, ice cream causes drowning.' What is the logical problem with this argument?
This is a classic 'correlation does not imply causation' fallacy. Hot weather causes both increased ice cream sales and more swimming/drowning.
causation, fallacy, correlation

Question 7

You test positive for a rare disease (1 in 10,000 prevalence). The test is 99% accurate (1% false positive rate). What is the approximate probability you actually have the disease?
With 10,000 people: 1 true case, but 100 false positives (1% of 9,999). So probability = 1/(1+100) ≈ 1%. This tests base rate neglect.
statistics, probability, base rates

Question 8

Argument: We should require voter ID because it prevents fraud. Which is the STRONGEST counterargument?
The strongest counterargument addresses the premise (fraud prevalence) and shows the policy's harm outweighs its benefit, using evidence.
counterargument, dialectical, rebuttal

Question 9

Topic: Should standardized testing be eliminated from schools? Argument: No, because standardized tests provide objective measures for comparing student and school performance Which new piece of evidence would most strengthens this argument?
This strengthenss the argument because: Adds robust, longitudinal evidence
arguments, evidence, evaluation

Question 10

Proposal: Universal basic income of $1000/month for all citizens Argument: We cannot afford UBI without massive tax increases What is the MOST significant weakness or missing element in this argument?
Key weakness: Doesn't account for economic stimulus effects. This limits the argument's strength despite other merits.
arguments, multi-criteria, comprehensive

Question 11

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 12

Argument: 'Ice cream sales and drowning deaths both rise together. Therefore, ice cream causes drowning.' What is the logical problem with this argument?
This is a classic 'correlation does not imply causation' fallacy. Hot weather causes both increased ice cream sales and more swimming/drowning.
causation, fallacy, correlation

Question 13

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 14

Topic: Should standardized testing be eliminated from schools? Argument: Yes, because tests make students nervous Which new piece of evidence would most strengthens this argument?
This strengthenss the argument because: Adds robust, longitudinal evidence
arguments, evidence, evaluation

Question 15

Question: Should the government increase funding for public schools? Argument: No, because my taxes are already too high Is this a strong or weak argument?
Weak argument: Personal opinion without considering broader policy implications
arguments, strength, basic

Question 16

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 17

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 18

Argument: 'Ice cream sales and drowning deaths both rise together. Therefore, ice cream causes drowning.' What is the logical problem with this argument?
This is a classic 'correlation does not imply causation' fallacy. Hot weather causes both increased ice cream sales and more swimming/drowning.
causation, fallacy, correlation

Question 19

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 20

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 Argument C: No, because small businesses will be forced to reduce hours or lay off workers to manage increased labor costs Rank these arguments from strongest to weakest. Which is the STRONGEST?
Ranking analysis:
A: Based on outdated assumption; data shows many adults work minimum wage jobs
B: Addresses both social justice and economic stimulation with clear causal reasoning
C: Identifies specific economic mechanism and realistic business response
arguments, comparative, analysis
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