College of San Mateo
Dr. Jeremy C. Ball

Logic Terminology Exercise

1. What is an argument?
2. What is a good argument; under what two conditions do we say an argument is good?
3. What does it mean to say an argument is valid?
4. What does it mean to say an argument is strong?
5. If an argument is valid or strong, does that mean it is good? Explain.
6. How can you show that an argument is not valid?
7. If an argument is valid and its premises are true, is its conclusion true, too? Explain.
8. If an argument is bad, what does that show about its conclusion?
9. If an argument is strong and it premises are true, is its conclusion true too? Explain.
10. Make up an example of am argument that is valid and good.
11. Make up an example of am argument that is valid and bad.
12. Make up an example of am argument that is strong and good.
13. Make up an example of am argument that is strong and bad.
14. Make up an example of an argument that is weak.
15. Can we show that an argument is not valid by showing that its conclusion is false? Example or explanation.
16. To decide whether an argument is good, does it depend upon whether it convinced anyone? Explain.

.