Philosophy · Unit 5

Reasoning and Logic (Basics)

Arguments, premises and conclusions, and common mistakes

Logic is the study of what follows from what, and separating that from whether the starting points are true is the whole trick.

The unit covers what an argument is, premises and conclusions, conditional reasoning, contradictions, and the mistakes people make most often.

This unit breaks down into 23 short steps and 120 questions, starting at difficulty 1 and building to 5. Below you can see exactly what it covers, how the path is structured, and worked examples with explanations.

Steps: 23
Questions: 120
Difficulty: 1-5

What this unit covers

What an Argument Is
Premises and Conclusions
If, Then
Contradictions
Common Thinking Mistakes

Where this fits

Follows Thinking Well. Logic and Arguments is the advanced treatment.

Where people slip

An argument can be perfectly valid and completely wrong. Valid means the conclusion follows if the premises are true, and it says nothing about whether they are.

How the unit is structured

Reasoning and Logic (Basics) runs as 23 short steps that unlock in order. 17 are practice rounds and 6 are challenge rounds that pull together everything before them. Questions start at difficulty 1 and climb to 5 as you progress.

Step 1 · easierStep 23 · harder

Challenge rounds

Example questions

30 real questions from this unit, with the answer and the reason behind it, grouped by what they practise. There are 120 in the unit altogether.

Common Thinking Mistakes

Multiple choiceLevel 1
1. What is it called when you use your conclusion as the reason to prove that very same conclusion?
- Circular reasoningcorrect
- Clear reasoning
- Careful reasoning
- Creative writing
Circular reasoning assumes the very thing it is trying to prove.
Choose all that applyLevel 2
2. Which of these are common thinking mistakes? Select all that apply.
- Jumping to a conclusion from very little evidencecorrect
- Attacking the person instead of their argumentcorrect
- Giving clear reasons for your claim
- Checking the facts before deciding
Hasty conclusions and personal attacks are mistakes; giving reasons and checking facts are good habits.
Match the pairsLevel 2
3. Match each thinking mistake to a short description.
Answer: Circular reasoning = Uses the conclusion as its own reason; Jumping to conclusions = Decides before there is enough evidence; Personal attack = Targets the person, not the argument
Naming these mistakes helps you spot them in real arguments.
True or falseLevel 2
4. 'It is the best book because it is better than all the others' is an example of circular reasoning.
Answer: True
It just restates the conclusion as its own reason, which is circular.
Choose all that applyLevel 2
5. Which of these describe 'jumping to a conclusion'? Select all that apply.
- Deciding after seeing only one examplecorrect
- Being sure before gathering enough evidencecorrect
- Waiting to see many cases first
- Asking for more proof
Jumping to conclusions means deciding too fast, before there is enough evidence.
Match the pairsLevel 3
6. Match each flawed argument to the mistake it shows.
Answer: It is true because the book says it is true = Circular reasoning; One bad apple, so the whole batch is bad = Jumping to conclusions; Ignore his point, he failed a test once = Personal attack
Naming each mistake makes it easier to answer the argument fairly.

Contradictions

Multiple choiceLevel 1
7. What is a contradiction?
- Saying something and its opposite are both true at oncecorrect
- Telling a long story
- Asking a polite question
- Agreeing with a friend
A contradiction claims something and its opposite are both true at the same time.
True or falseLevel 1
8. 'The door is fully open and the same door is fully closed right now' is a contradiction.
Answer: True
A door cannot be fully open and fully closed at the same moment, so it is a contradiction.
Choose all that applyLevel 2
9. Which of these pairs contradict each other? Select all that apply.
- 'All cats are asleep' and 'One cat is awake'correct
- 'It is raining here now' and 'It is dry here now'correct
- 'The cup is red' and 'The cup is on the table'
- 'She is tall' and 'She likes music'
Contradicting pairs cannot both be true at the same time and place.
Fill the blankLevel 2
10. Two statements that cannot both be true at the same time are said to ____ each other.
- contradictcorrect
- support
- repeat
- explain
When two claims cannot both be true at once, they contradict each other.
Match the pairsLevel 2
11. Match each statement to the one that directly contradicts it.
Answer: The light is on = The light is off; All the seats are taken = Some seats are empty; It is hot in here = It is cold in here
Each pair states opposites that cannot both be true at the same time.
Odd one outLevel 2
12. Three of these statements agree with 'It is daytime here.' Which one contradicts it?
- It is dark night here nowcorrect
- The sun is up here
- It is light outside here
- It is morning here
'Dark night' cannot be true at the same time as 'daytime,' so it contradicts it.

If, Then

Multiple choiceLevel 1
13. A sentence in the form 'If it rains, then the picnic is cancelled' is known as what kind of statement?
- A conditional statementcorrect
- A conclusion
- A contradiction
- A definition
'If..., then...' sentences are called conditional statements.
True or falseLevel 1
14. In 'If you heat ice, then it melts,' the part after 'then' tells you what follows if the first part is true.
Answer: True
The 'then' part tells you what follows when the 'if' part holds.
Type the answerLevel 1
15. In a conditional statement, what two-letter word begins the condition part? Type the word.
Answer: if
The condition part starts with the word 'if.'
Choose all that applyLevel 2
16. Which of these are 'if, then' (conditional) statements? Select all that apply.
- If you water a plant, then it grows
- If the light is red, then stop
- The dog is brown
- Please close the door
Conditional statements have an 'if' part and a 'then' part.
Fill the blankLevel 2
17. 'If, then' statements are also called ____ statements.
- conditionalcorrect
- musical
- angry
- random
'If, then' sentences are called conditional statements.
Put in orderLevel 2
18. Put this simple reasoning in order, from the rule to the result.
Answer: If it is snowing, then school is closed -> It is snowing -> So school is closed
Start with the rule, add the fact that matches it, then draw the result.

Premises and Conclusions

Multiple choiceLevel 1
19. What do we call a reason that is offered to support a conclusion?
- A premisecorrect
- A puzzle
- A title
- A guess
A premise is a reason given to support the conclusion.
True or falseLevel 1
20. The word 'because' usually introduces a reason, which is a premise.
Answer: True
'Because' points to a premise, the reason supporting the claim.
Fill the blankLevel 2
21. The word 'therefore' usually signals that a ____ is about to be stated.
- conclusioncorrect
- premise
- question
- riddle
Words like 'therefore' point to the conclusion of an argument.
Odd one outLevel 2
22. Three of these words usually signal a conclusion. Which one is the odd one out?
- becausecorrect
- therefore
- so
- thus
'Because' points to a reason; the others point to a conclusion.
Sort into groupsLevel 2
23. Sort each signal word by what it usually points to.
Answer: because = Premise word; since = Premise word; therefore = Conclusion word; so = Conclusion word
'Because' and 'since' point to reasons; 'therefore' and 'so' point to the conclusion.
Type the answerLevel 2
24. What signal word, starting with the letter t, usually comes right before the conclusion of an argument? Type the word.
Answer: therefore
'Therefore' is a common word that signals the conclusion.

What an Argument Is

Fill the blankLevel 1
25. An argument gives ____ to support its main claim.
- reasonscorrect
- colors
- snacks
- songs
Arguments back up a claim by offering reasons.
Multiple choiceLevel 1
26. In philosophy, what is an argument?
- A set of reasons given to support a claimcorrect
- A loud fight between two people
- A list of questions with no answers
- A story told just for fun
In philosophy an argument is not a fight; it is reasons offered to back up a claim.
True or falseLevel 1
27. In philosophy, the word 'argument' means an angry shouting match.
Answer: False
A philosophical argument is a calm set of reasons for a claim, not a quarrel.
Type the answerLevel 1
28. What word means a set of reasons offered to support a claim? Type the single word.
Answer: argument
That set of supporting reasons is called an argument.
Odd one outLevel 2
29. Three of these belong to making an argument. Which one is the odd one out?
- Shouting to be the loudestcorrect
- Giving a reason
- Stating a claim
- Supporting your point
Being loudest is not part of an argument; giving reasons for a claim is.
Fill the blankLevel 3
30. A single sentence that states a fact with no reason given is not an argument; it is just a ____.
- statementcorrect
- premise
- conclusion
- fallacy
Without a supporting reason it is only a statement, not an argument.

Where these questions come from. Each unit starts as a plan of the concepts it should cover and the difficulty it should span. Questions are written against that plan with AI assistance, then checked by a validator that rejects anything without a single defensible answer, an explanation, or plausible wrong options. How we write questions sets out the whole process, and corrections are fixed in the bank and reach the site and the app the same day.

How you practise

This unit mixes 9 different question formats, so you are recalling and applying rather than recognising the same layout every time.

Choose all that apply
Fill the blank
Match the pairs
Multiple choice
Odd one out
Put in order
Sort into groups
True or false
Type the answer

Practise Reasoning and Logic (Basics)

120 questions across 23 steps. Start with step one and crawl at your own pace.

Play this unit

Read about Reasoning and Logic (Basics)

Explainers from our blog on what this unit covers. Each one ends with real questions from the bank.

What Is Occam's Razor? Why the Simpler Explanation Usually WinsOccam's razor says not to multiply assumptions beyond what is needed. Who William of Ockham was, what the rule actually claims, and where it is misapplied.September 14, 2026 · 4 min read

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