EnglishAges 16-18

Critical argument & evidence

Evaluate claims, counterarguments, empirical evidence and logical fallacies in critical writing. Review suitability for your learners before teaching.

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Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 16-18

Critical argument & evidence

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Name the fallacy that misrepresents or exaggerates an opponent’s position to make it easier to refute: Straw man or Circular reasoning?
Name the fallacy that misr… · Critical argument & evidence
2. Name the fallacy that shifts the meaning of a key word mid-argument to reach a misleading conclusion: Equivocation or Tu quoque?
Name the fallacy that shif… · Critical argument & evidence
3. In logic, an argument whose conclusion MUST be true whenever all its premises are true is called: Valid or Fallacious?
In logic, an argument whos… · Critical argument & evidence
4. When a scientist measures ocean temperature directly with a calibrated sensor, is that dataset Primary data or Secondary commentary?
When a scientist measures … · Critical argument & evidence
5. A deductively valid argument whose premises are also actually true in the real world is called: Sound or Circular?
A deductively valid argume… · Critical argument & evidence
6. Why does correlation between ice-cream sales and sunburn rates not prove that ice cream causes sunburn: a confounding variable (hot sunny weather) drives both, or sunburn causes hunger?
Why does correlation betwe… · Critical argument & evidence
7. Name the logical fallacy that attacks the person making an argument rather than addressing the argument itself: Ad hominem or Straw man?
Name the logical fallacy t… · Critical argument & evidence
8. Name the fallacy in which the conclusion is already assumed inside one of the premises: Circular reasoning (begging the question) or Slippery slope?
Name the fallacy in which … · Critical argument & evidence
9. Name the fallacy that argues a claim is true merely because it has not yet been proven false: Appeal to ignorance or Straw man?
Name the fallacy that argu… · Critical argument & evidence
10. Why should a survey sample be selected randomly from the whole population rather than only from one friendship group: to reduce sampling bias, or to guarantee everyone agrees?
Why should a survey sample… · Critical argument & evidence
11. Name the fallacy that introduces an irrelevant topic to divert attention from the original issue: Red herring or False analogy?
Name the fallacy that intr… · Critical argument & evidence
12. Name the fallacy that assumes because Event B followed Event A, Event A must have caused Event B: Post hoc (false cause) or Ad hominem?
Name the fallacy that assu… · Critical argument & evidence

12 questions · Seed 42 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 16-18

Critical argument & evidence

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. Name the fallacy that misrepresents or exaggerates an opponent’s position to make it easier to refute: Straw man or Circular reasoning?
Straw man
A straw man replaces the actual argument with a distorted, weaker version.
2. Name the fallacy that shifts the meaning of a key word mid-argument to reach a misleading conclusion: Equivocation or Tu quoque?
Equivocation
Equivocation exploits an ambiguous word in two different senses.
3. In logic, an argument whose conclusion MUST be true whenever all its premises are true is called: Valid or Fallacious?
Valid
Deductive validity means the conclusion follows necessarily from the premises.
4. When a scientist measures ocean temperature directly with a calibrated sensor, is that dataset Primary data or Secondary commentary?
Primary data
Direct measurements collected first-hand constitute primary data.
5. A deductively valid argument whose premises are also actually true in the real world is called: Sound or Circular?
Sound
Soundness requires both a valid logical form and true premises.
6. Why does correlation between ice-cream sales and sunburn rates not prove that ice cream causes sunburn: a confounding variable (hot sunny weather) drives both, or sunburn causes hunger?
A confounding variable (hot sunny weather) drives both
Hot summer weather independently increases both ice-cream consumption and sun exposure.
7. Name the logical fallacy that attacks the person making an argument rather than addressing the argument itself: Ad hominem or Straw man?
Ad hominem
An ad hominem fallacy targets the speaker’s character or motive instead of their reasoning.
8. Name the fallacy in which the conclusion is already assumed inside one of the premises: Circular reasoning (begging the question) or Slippery slope?
Circular reasoning (begging the question)
Circular reasoning assumes the very claim it sets out to prove.
9. Name the fallacy that argues a claim is true merely because it has not yet been proven false: Appeal to ignorance or Straw man?
Appeal to ignorance
Absence of disproof is not proof of truth.
10. Why should a survey sample be selected randomly from the whole population rather than only from one friendship group: to reduce sampling bias, or to guarantee everyone agrees?
To reduce sampling bias
Random sampling helps ensure the sample represents the wider population fairly.
11. Name the fallacy that introduces an irrelevant topic to divert attention from the original issue: Red herring or False analogy?
Red herring
A red herring distracts the audience from the central question under discussion.
12. Name the fallacy that assumes because Event B followed Event A, Event A must have caused Event B: Post hoc (false cause) or Ad hominem?
Post hoc (false cause)
Post hoc ergo propter hoc confuses chronological sequence with causation.

12 questions · Seed 42 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 16-18

Critical argument & evidence

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. Name the fallacy that misrepresents or exaggerates an opponent’s position to make it easier to refute: Straw man or Circular reasoning?
Name the fallacy that misr… · Critical argument & evidence
2. Name the fallacy that shifts the meaning of a key word mid-argument to reach a misleading conclusion: Equivocation or Tu quoque?
Name the fallacy that shif… · Critical argument & evidence
3. In logic, an argument whose conclusion MUST be true whenever all its premises are true is called: Valid or Fallacious?
In logic, an argument whos… · Critical argument & evidence
4. When a scientist measures ocean temperature directly with a calibrated sensor, is that dataset Primary data or Secondary commentary?
When a scientist measures … · Critical argument & evidence
5. A deductively valid argument whose premises are also actually true in the real world is called: Sound or Circular?
A deductively valid argume… · Critical argument & evidence
6. Why does correlation between ice-cream sales and sunburn rates not prove that ice cream causes sunburn: a confounding variable (hot sunny weather) drives both, or sunburn causes hunger?
Why does correlation betwe… · Critical argument & evidence
7. Name the logical fallacy that attacks the person making an argument rather than addressing the argument itself: Ad hominem or Straw man?
Name the logical fallacy t… · Critical argument & evidence
8. Name the fallacy in which the conclusion is already assumed inside one of the premises: Circular reasoning (begging the question) or Slippery slope?
Name the fallacy in which … · Critical argument & evidence
9. Name the fallacy that argues a claim is true merely because it has not yet been proven false: Appeal to ignorance or Straw man?
Name the fallacy that argu… · Critical argument & evidence
10. Why should a survey sample be selected randomly from the whole population rather than only from one friendship group: to reduce sampling bias, or to guarantee everyone agrees?
Why should a survey sample… · Critical argument & evidence
11. Name the fallacy that introduces an irrelevant topic to divert attention from the original issue: Red herring or False analogy?
Name the fallacy that intr… · Critical argument & evidence
12. Name the fallacy that assumes because Event B followed Event A, Event A must have caused Event B: Post hoc (false cause) or Ad hominem?
Name the fallacy that assu… · Critical argument & evidence

12 questions · Seed 42 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 16-18

Critical argument & evidence

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. Name the fallacy that misrepresents or exaggerates an opponent’s position to make it easier to refute: Straw man or Circular reasoning?
Straw man
A straw man replaces the actual argument with a distorted, weaker version.
2. Name the fallacy that shifts the meaning of a key word mid-argument to reach a misleading conclusion: Equivocation or Tu quoque?
Equivocation
Equivocation exploits an ambiguous word in two different senses.
3. In logic, an argument whose conclusion MUST be true whenever all its premises are true is called: Valid or Fallacious?
Valid
Deductive validity means the conclusion follows necessarily from the premises.
4. When a scientist measures ocean temperature directly with a calibrated sensor, is that dataset Primary data or Secondary commentary?
Primary data
Direct measurements collected first-hand constitute primary data.
5. A deductively valid argument whose premises are also actually true in the real world is called: Sound or Circular?
Sound
Soundness requires both a valid logical form and true premises.
6. Why does correlation between ice-cream sales and sunburn rates not prove that ice cream causes sunburn: a confounding variable (hot sunny weather) drives both, or sunburn causes hunger?
A confounding variable (hot sunny weather) drives both
Hot summer weather independently increases both ice-cream consumption and sun exposure.
7. Name the logical fallacy that attacks the person making an argument rather than addressing the argument itself: Ad hominem or Straw man?
Ad hominem
An ad hominem fallacy targets the speaker’s character or motive instead of their reasoning.
8. Name the fallacy in which the conclusion is already assumed inside one of the premises: Circular reasoning (begging the question) or Slippery slope?
Circular reasoning (begging the question)
Circular reasoning assumes the very claim it sets out to prove.
9. Name the fallacy that argues a claim is true merely because it has not yet been proven false: Appeal to ignorance or Straw man?
Appeal to ignorance
Absence of disproof is not proof of truth.
10. Why should a survey sample be selected randomly from the whole population rather than only from one friendship group: to reduce sampling bias, or to guarantee everyone agrees?
To reduce sampling bias
Random sampling helps ensure the sample represents the wider population fairly.
11. Name the fallacy that introduces an irrelevant topic to divert attention from the original issue: Red herring or False analogy?
Red herring
A red herring distracts the audience from the central question under discussion.
12. Name the fallacy that assumes because Event B followed Event A, Event A must have caused Event B: Post hoc (false cause) or Ad hominem?
Post hoc (false cause)
Post hoc ergo propter hoc confuses chronological sequence with causation.

12 questions · Seed 42 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification