CRITICAL REASONING

ARGUMENT - IDENTIFICATION OF
DIFFERENT PARTS

PREMISE A piece of information that is stated in the question (fact,

opinion or a claim)

ASSUMPTION Unstated part of the argument highly necessary to

reach the conclusion

CONCLUSION Logically derived from the assumption and premise

Conclusion = Premise + Assumption

HOW TO IDENTIFY THE DIFFERENT PARTS?

Suzuki Shogun is a leading contender for the

Motorbike of the Year award. If Suzuki Shogun
wins the award, it must have a 600 cc Engine
 Exercise - 1
No one under eighteen years of age can vote.
Jen is under eighteen years of age.
Therefore, Jen cannot vote.

Premise:
Conclusion:
Assumption:
 TYPES OF QUESTIONS

Deduce the assumption:

Tobacco is injurious to health. Hence,

smoking cigarettes should be banned
by the government
 TYPES OF QUESTIONS

Find the strengthening statement:

Ram : The KB pulsar can accelerate from 0 to 60 kmph
in 4.5 seconds and is one of the fastest bikes in the
market. Clearly, it is the bike you should buy
(a) The KB pulsar is cheaper than other bikes
(b) You are looking for a bike which has the fast rate of
acceleration
(c) Rams claim about KB pulsars capabilities has been
proven to be scientifically incorrect
(d) The KB pulsar has the best mileage in the market
 TYPES OF QUESTIONS

Find the weakening statement:

Ram : The KB pulsar can accelerate from 0 to 60 kmph
in 4.5 seconds and is one of the fastest bikes in the
market. Clearly, it is the bike you should buy
(a) The KB pulsar is cheaper than other bikes
(b) You are looking for a bike which has the fast rate of
acceleration
(c) Rams claim about KB pulsars capabilities has been
proven to be scientifically incorrect
(d) The KB pulsar has the best mileage in the market
 TYPES OF QUESTIONS
Deduce the conclusion:
Only great music directors win National Film awards. A.
R. Rahman and Ilayaraja have won the most number of
National awards for music direction
Which of the following statements is the best suitable
conclusion to the argument?
(a) Ilaiyaraja is a better music director than A. R. Rahman
(b) A.R. Rahman has won the award four times
(c) A.R. Rahman and Ilaiyaraja are Indias greatest music
directors
(d) Satyajit Ray has won the award twice
 TYPES OF QUESTIONS
Mimic the reasoning pattern:
Sodium hydroxide is an alkali. All alkalis are bases. Hence, sodium
hydroxide is a base.
Which of the following arguments have the same reasoning pattern
that of the passage above?
(a) If raccoons bear live young, they must be mammals. So if they
are amphibians, they must lay eggs to reproduce
(b) Sandeep is an actor. All actors are directors. Hence, Sandeep is a
director as well
(c) India is my country. All Indians are my brothers and sisters.
Hence, my brother is an Indian
(d) If earth scientists are correct, global temperatures are rising. If
the earths temperature increases, ocean levels will rise. So if
ocean levels rise, earth scientists were correct.