Basic Logic
Assignment 1
Due September 15, 2025
Answer the following questions. Explain your answers in 1 or 2 sentences. Question values are indicated with the question. The maximum grade for the assignment is 20 points. The assignment is worth 2% of your overall course grade.
1. Determine whether each of the following is a statement. (3 Points, 1 each)
(a) Is it raining outside?
(b) Please help me in the garden.
(c) London, Ontario is older than London, England.
2. Do the following pairs of statements express the same proposition? Explain. (2 points, 1 each)
(a) Sara is 160cm tall. Sara is 5’ 3” tall. (Assume lengths are rounded to the nearest unit.)
(b) The first dog in space was Soviet. Laika was Soviet.
3. Which of the following are arguments? (3 points, 1 each)
(a) Climate change occurs because of an increased concentration of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere.
(b) We should change our plans to watch the movie because we do not have enough money to buy the cinema tickets.
(c) The politician claimed that there is too much poverty because housing is too expensive.
4. Are the following sets of statements incompatible, inconsistent, both, or neither? (2 points, 1 each)
(a) The cat is dead. The cat is alive.
(b) Everybody in this room is a student. Peter is in this room and is not a student.
5. Is each of the following arguments valid (in the general sense), formally valid, both, or neither? (2 points, 1 each)
(a) Sandra loves only animals. Dogs are animals. : Sandra loves only dogs.
(b) If it rains tomorrow, then we will not go hiking. It will not rain tomorrow. :
We will go hiking.
6. Are the following true or false? Explain. (3 points, 1 each)
(a) Every argument with a true conclusion is valid.
(b) Every argument with a false conclusion is invalid.
(c) A valid argument can have an invalid form.
7. For the following argument: (i) Identify the premises and the conclusion (2 points);
(ii) Identify the inference indicators that help you make these identifications (2 points); (iii) Is the argument formally valid (1 point)? Argument:
Since everybody, who passed the exam, studied a lot and Francis did not study at all, it follows that Francis did not pass the exam. (5 points)