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Statement and Arguments

Reasoning · Logical & Analytical Reasoning

6 Part3 worked examples17 practice questions

Imagine you are the judge in a debate. The topic is: “Should mobile phones be banned in schools?” Two speakers speak. You are not asked what you believe; you are asked who gave a sound reason. That is exactly the work of this chapter.

The question has a statement — usually a proposal like “Should … be done?” — and under it two (sometimes three or four) arguments, i.e. reasons given for “yes” or “no”. You must say which are strong (worth weighing in a real decision) and which are weak.

The chapter goes from the very beginning: the meaning of a strong argument, five tests to check it, ten common kinds of weak argument, then the art of reading both sides together, and finally practice by theme.

How to use this chapter

  1. Read — each part explains the idea and gives tables and rules.
  2. Study the solved example — beside every argument the reason “why strong / why weak” is open.
  3. Try it yourself — decide on each argument first, then pick the option; open the solution afterwards.
  4. Know the level — Basic, Standard, Advanced.
NoteThe questions you solve are remembered in this browser; see your progress on the right (the “Contents” button on a phone).
1

Foundation — argument, strong and weak

Every question stands on these tools

The vocabulary, five tests and the kinds of weak argument.

What an argument is — strong and weak

“Yes/No” is only the direction; the reason is the real thing

The meaning of statement, argument, strong and weak, and the five standard answers.

TermMeaning
StatementA proposal, usually “Should … be done?”
ArgumentA reason given for (yes) or against (no) the proposal
Strong argumentA concrete, balanced reason tied directly to the question, which could really influence the decision
Weak argumentA reason that is vague, unconnected, exaggerated, or resting only on feeling or habit

Make one thing clear at the start: “yes” or “no” does not change the strength of an argument. A “yes, because …” argument can be weak and a “no, because …” argument strong. We weigh only the reason after “because”. Arguments on both sides can be strong together, because a question often has weight on both sides.

AnswerWhen
Only argument I is strongI strong, II weak
Only argument II is strongII strong, I weak
Either I or IIAlmost never — each argument is weighed on its own merit
NeitherBoth weak
Both strongBoth strong — even if they are for and against
The plain test of each argument
Read the questionPick out the reason after “because”Ask: is it a concrete reason tied to the question?Yes → strong; no → weak
RuleKeep your own opinion out. You may favour a ban on phones, yet “teachers do not like phones” is still a weak reason. The exam tests the quality of the reason, not your opinion.
Example 1 · Basic
Statement: Should single-use plastic bags be banned in cities? Argument I. Yes, because many other countries have already done so. Argument II. Yes, because these bags get stuck in drains, block the flow of water and cause waterlogging in the rains.
Solution, step by step
  1. 1Argument I is weak. Weak — “others do it”. “Others did it” is not a reason for our city.
  2. 2Argument II is strong. Strong. It names a concrete, direct harm — blocked drains.
Answer Only argument II is strong
The first names a concrete harm to drains; the second points to what others did.
BasicTry it yourself first
Statement: Should helmets be made compulsory for pillion riders on two-wheelers too? Argument I. Yes, because the rule is already in force in many cities. Argument II. Yes, because head injury is a major cause of death in two-wheeler accidents and a helmet reduces it greatly.
BasicTry it yourself first
Statement: Should toll collection on a highway stop once the cost of building it has been recovered? Argument I. Yes, because the toll was meant to repay the cost of the road; going on collecting it afterwards is an unfair burden on travellers. Argument II. No, because continuous money is needed to maintain and repair the road.
BasicTry it yourself first
Statement: Should advertisements of tobacco products be banned? Argument I. No, because newspapers and channels earn money from these advertisements. Argument II. Yes, because tobacco is a bad thing.

Five tests of a strong argument

Ask these five questions of every argument

Relevance, a concrete reason, balance, fact versus feeling, and wider interest with practicality.

TestQuestionAn argument that fails it
1. RelevanceIs it about this very question?“Remove the toll, because trucks make noise”
2. A concrete reasonDoes it state a fact, consequence or cause?“Yes, because it is the need of the hour”
3. BalanceDoes it exaggerate (all, always, never)?“It will end all power cuts”
4. Fact, not feelingDoes it rest on liking, habit, tradition or what someone wants?“It was so in our times too”
5. Wider interest and practicalityDoes it speak of society or the large group concerned, and can it be put into practice?“No, because the toll staff will lose their jobs” (a small group)

To be strong, an argument must pass all the tests. Failing even one makes it weak. But take care not to read test 5 backwards: if the question itself is about a particular group (such as “Should shopkeepers be penalised?”) that group’s interest is relevant.

TrickA “difficulty” argument (“it is hard to enforce”) is strong only when the difficulty is serious, real and very large — such as punishing crores of people, which is nearly impossible. “People are used to it” or “it will be a bother” is a weak kind of difficulty.
Example 2 · Standard
Statement: Should students be banned from bringing mobile phones to school? Argument I. No, because in an emergency such as illness or a late bus a child may need to contact the parents quickly. Argument II. No, because mobile companies earn good profits from students.
Solution, step by step
  1. 1Argument I is strong. Strong. A real, practical reason of safety.
  2. 2Argument II is weak. Weak — an unconnected matter. The profit of companies has nothing to do with a school rule.
Answer Only argument I is strong
The first is a real reason of safety; the second counts companies’ profits, unconnected with the rule.
StandardTry it yourself first
Statement: Should the retirement age of government employees be raised from 60 to 62 years? Argument I. Yes, because experienced staff would stay two years more, so work would suffer less when senior officers leave. Argument II. No, because promotions and fresh recruitment would be held up and fewer vacancies would be left for young job-seekers.
StandardTry it yourself first
Statement: Should solar panels be made compulsory on the roofs of all new government buildings? Argument I. No, because on roofs that get little sun the panels would give very little power and money would be wasted; the rule should be only for sunny roofs. Argument II. Yes, because solar power will end all the power cuts in the country.
StandardTry it yourself first
Statement: Should private coaching centres be brought under a law and regulated? Argument I. Yes, because some centres charge very high fees and make false claims of selection; a law would protect students and parents. Argument II. Yes, because education should be pure.
StandardTry it yourself first
Statement: Should school canteens stop selling fast food? Argument I. Yes, because fast food is high in fat, salt and sugar and regular eating can harm children’s health. Argument II. No, because children like fast food very much.

Ten kinds of weak argument

Name the fault and the argument cuts itself

Ten common weaknesses, their tell-tale phrases and an example of each.

FaultHow it soundsExample
Slogan (vague)“It is good”, “the need of the hour”“Yes, because it is good for the country.”
“Others do it”“many countries/states have it”“Many countries have a ban.”
UnconnectedTalks about another matter“Remove toll, because trucks are noisy.”
Exaggerationall, always, never, the only“It will end all cheating.”
Habit / inconvenience“people are used to it”, “it will be a bother”“A helmet is uncomfortable in the heat.”
Feeling / what someone wants“leaders want it”, “it feels cruel”“Seniors will bless us.”
Repeating the questionThe same thing instead of a reason“Toll collection should continue.”
Personal case / liking“my uncle…”, “I enjoy it”“I like visiting the zoo.”
A small group’s interestThe loss of one trade or firm“The canteen owner’s income will fall.”
Tradition“it has always been so”“Zoos have existed for hundreds of years.”

There is also an eleventh trap: the reason supports the opposite side. “No, because mornings are cool and children concentrate better” — it says “no”, yet its reason is in favour of starting school early. Such an argument is weak because it does not back its own claim. Always match the reason with the claim.

TrickTwo questions for a hard argument: (1) “If this reason is true, does it really lead to this decision?” (2) “Could anyone say the same thing for or against anything?” If the answer to (2) is “yes”, it is a slogan.
Example 3 · Basic
Statement: Should homework be abolished for classes 1 to 5? Argument I. No, because without homework children will never learn anything. Argument II. No, because teachers gave homework in our days too.
Solution, step by step
  1. 1Argument I is weak. Weak — exaggeration. “Never anything” is extreme.
  2. 2Argument II is weak. Weak — old tradition. “It used to be so” is not a reason for today.
Answer Neither I nor II is strong
Both are weak: one rests on tradition, the other is extreme with “never anything”.
BasicTry it yourself first
Statement: Should single-use plastic bags be banned in cities? Argument: Yes, because many other countries have already done so. Why is this argument weak?
BasicTry it yourself first
Statement: Should single-use plastic bags be banned in cities? Argument: Yes, because it is the need of the hour. Why is this argument weak?
BasicTry it yourself first
Statement: Should students be banned from bringing mobile phones to school? Argument: Yes, because teachers do not like phones. Why is this argument weak?
BasicTry it yourself first
Statement: Should voting be made compulsory for all adult citizens? Argument: Yes, because our leaders have always wanted this. Why is this argument weak?
StandardTry it yourself first
Statement: Should the retirement age of government employees be raised from 60 to 62 years? Argument: No, because old people can never work properly. Why is this argument weak?
StandardTry it yourself first
Statement: Should solar panels be made compulsory on the roofs of all new government buildings? Argument: No, because officials are used to the old electricity connection. Why is this argument weak?
StandardTry it yourself first
Statement: Should advertisements of tobacco products be banned? Argument: No, because newspapers and channels earn money from these advertisements. Why is this argument weak?
StandardTry it yourself first
Statement: Should toll collection on a highway stop once the cost of building it has been recovered? Argument: No, because the toll should continue to be collected. Why is this argument weak?
StandardTry it yourself first
Statement: Should zoos be closed down? Argument: No, because zoos have existed for hundreds of years. Why is this argument weak?
AdvancedTry it yourself first
Statement: Should schools begin at 7 am instead of 8 am in the summer? Argument: Yes, because children will get less time to sleep and play. Why is this argument weak?
2

Reading both sides together

Yes and no — both can be strong

Judging arguments for and against together, the traps that look strong, and questions with three or four arguments.

For and against together

Each argument on its own merit

The four possible outcomes for two opposite arguments and understanding “both strong”.

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Traps that look strong

True, but no use here

Arguments that sound weighty but break on the tests.

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Questions with three or four arguments

Mark each ✔ or ✘, then pick the group

The method for questions with several arguments; the options are groups such as “only I and III”.

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3

Practice by theme

Proposals from four areas, with both sides in each

Questions on civic life, school, rights and rules, and public services.

City, environment and public places

Plastic, solar panels, rainwater, zoos, the old market

Judge arguments on proposals about civic amenities and the environment.

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School and students

Mobiles, fast food, homework, coaching, mid-day meals

Judge arguments on proposals about children’s interest.

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Rights, rules and safety

Voting, tobacco advertisements, helmets

Judge arguments on proposals that sit between freedom and safety.

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Public services and the economy

Retirement age, toll, digital payments

Judge arguments on proposals about service conditions and fees.

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4

Strategy guide

One order for every question and the traps to avoid

The order of judging an argument, a table of tell-tale phrases and common mistakes.

Order of checks and tell-tale phrases

Hear the phrase, name the fault

A table for naming the fault from the words of the argument.

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Common mistakes and time-savers

The mistakes that keep happening

Reasons for losing marks in argument questions.

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5

Mixed practice

All themes mixed

Questions of different themes in three levels.

Basic practice

One strong, one clearly weak

Arguments with plain weaknesses.

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Standard practice

Both sides and subtle weaknesses

Both strong, both weak, and personal or small-group arguments.

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Advanced practice

Three or four arguments and fine traps

Group options and arguments whose reason runs against the claim.

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6

Revision — cards

Flip each card and test yourself

Think of the answer yourself first, then flip.

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