Term
All bullfights are grotesque rituals.
Al executions are grotesque rituals.
Therefore, all bullfights are executions. |
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Term
| If apes are intelligent, then apes can solve puzzles. |
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The Brooklyn Bridge is made of atoms.
Atoms are invisible.
Therefore, the Brooklyn Bridge is invisible. |
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A chess player is a person.
Therefore, a bad chess player is a bad person. |
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Term
| Child to playmate: Sesame Street is the best show on TV; and if you don't believe it, I'm going to call my big brother over here and he's going to beat you up. |
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| Secretary to Boss: I deserve a raise in salary for the coming year. After all, you know how friendly I am with your wife, and I'm sure you wouldn't want her to find out what's been going on between you and that sexpot client of yours. |
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| Taypayer to Judge: Your Honor, I admit that I declared thirteen children as dependents on my tax return, even though I have only two. But if you find me guilty of tax evasion, my reputation will be ruined. I'll probably lose my job, my poor wife will notbe able to have the operation that she desperately nedds, and my kids will starve. Surely I am not guilty. |
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Term
| Of course you want to buy Zing toothpaste. Why, 90 percent of America brushes with Zing. |
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Definition
| Ad Populum Bandwagon Argument |
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Term
| The Few, the Proud, the Marines. |
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Definition
| Ad Populum Appeal to Vanity |
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Term
| A Rolls-Royce is not for everyone. If you qualify as one o the select few, this distinguished classic may be seen and driven at British Motor Cars, Ltd. (By Appointment Only Please.) |
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Definition
| Ad Populum Appeal to Snobbery |
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Term
| Before he died, poet Allen Ginsberg argued in favor of legalizing pornography. But Ginsberg's arguments are nothing but trash. Ginsberg was a marijuana-smoking homosexual and a throughgoing advocate of the drug culture. |
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| William Buckley has argued in favor legalizing drugs such as cocaine and heroin. But Buckley is just another one of those upper-crust intellectuals who is out of touch with real America.No sensible person should listen to his pseudosolutions. |
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Term
| The Dalai Lama argues that China has business in Tibet and the West should do something about it. But the Dalai Lama just wants the Chinese to leave so he can return as leader. Naturally he argues this way. Therefore, we should reject his arguments. |
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Definition
| Ad Hominem Circumstantial |
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| Child to Parent: Your argument that I should stop stealing candy from the corner store is no good. You told me yourself just a week ago that you, too, stole candy when you were a kid. |
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| International terrorist Osama bin Laden planned the destruction of the World Trade Center, killing thousands of innocent people, and he supports terrorist causes all over the world. Bin Laden is therefore a wicked and irresponsible person. |
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Term
| Shakespeare cannot possibly have written the thirty-six plays attributed to him because the real Shakespeare was a two-bit country businessman who barely finished the fourth grade in school and who never the left the confines of his native England. |
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| Mickey has testified that he saw Freddy set fire to the building. But Mickey was recently convicted on ten counts of perjury, and he hates Freddy with a passion and would love to see him sent to jail. Therefore, you should not believe Mickey's testimony. |
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Definition
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Term
| Freedom of speech is a constitutionally guaranteed right. Therefore, John Q Radical should not be arrested for his speech that incited the riot last week. |
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| Property should be returned to its rightful owner. That drunken sailor who is starting a fight with his opponents at the pol table lent you his .45-caliber pistol, and now he wants it back. Therefore, you should return it to him now. |
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| Mr. Goldberg has argued against prayer in he public schools. Obviously Mr. Goldberg advocates atheism. But atheism is what they used to have in Russia. Atheism leads to the suppression of all religions and the replacement of God by an omnipotent state. Is that what we want for this county? I hardly think so. Clearly Mr. Goldberg's argument is nonsense. |
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| The garment workers have signed a petition arguing for better ventilation on the work premises. Unfortunately, air-conditioning is expensive. Air ducts would have to be run throughout the factory,and a massive heat exchange unit installed on the roof. Also, the cost of operating such a system during the summer would be astronomical. In view on these considerations the petition must be rejected. |
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| The student status committee has presented us with an argument favoring alcohol privileges on campus. What do the students want? Is it their intention to stay boozed up from the day they enter as freshmen until the day they graduate? Do they expect us to open a bar for them? Or maybe a chain of bars all over campus? Such a proposal is ridiculous. |
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| Crimes of theft and robbery have been increasing at an alarming rate lately. The conclusion is obvious: We must reinstate the death penalty immediately. |
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| Abuse of the welfare system is rampant nowadays. Our only alternative is to abolish the system altogether. |
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| Environmentalists are continually harping about the dangers of nuclear power. Unfortunately, electricity is dangerous no matter where it comes from. Every year hundreds of people are electrocuted by accident. Since most of these accidents are caused by carelessness, they could be avoided if people would just exercise greater caution. |
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| There is a good deal of talk these days about the need to eliminate pesticides from our fruits and vegetables. But many of these foods are essential to our health. Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A, broccoli is rich in iron, and oranges and grapefruit have lots of vitamin C. |
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| Professor Conway complains of inadequate parking our campus. But did you know that last year Conway carried on a torrid love affair with a member of the English Department? The two used to meet every day for clandestine sex in the copier room. Apparently they didn't realize how much you can see through that fogged glass window. Even the students got an eyeful. Enough said about Conway. |
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| Dr. Bradshaw, our family physician, has stated that the creation of muonic atoms of deuterium and tritium hold the key to producing a sustained nuclear fusion reaction at room temperature. In view of Dr. Bradshaw's expertise as a physician, we must conclude that this is indeed true. |
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Definition
| Appeal to Unqualified Authority |
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Term
| David Duke, former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, has stated, "Jews are not good Americans. They have no understanding of what America is." On the basis of Duke's authority, we must therefore conclude that the Jews in this country are un-American. |
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Definition
| Appeal to Unqualified Authority |
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Term
| James W. Johnston, Chairman of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, testified before Congress that tobacco is not an addictive substance and that smoking cigarettes does not produce any addiction. Therefore, we should believe him and conclude that smoking does not in fact lead t any addiction. |
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Definition
| Appeal to Unqualified Authority |
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| Old Mrs. Furguson (who is practically blind) has testified that she saw the defendant stab the victim with a bayonet while she was standing in the twilight shadows 100 yards from the incident. Therefore, members of the jury, you must find the defendant guilty. |
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Definition
| Appeal to Unqualified Authority |
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| The county tax collector issued a press release stating that property tax revenues are higher this year than last. Therefore, we conclude that these revenues are indeed higher this year. |
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Definition
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Term
| People have been trying for centuries to provide conclusion evidence for the claims of astrology, and no one has ever succeeded. Therefore, we must conclude that astrology is a lot of nonsense. |
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Definition
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| People have been trying for centuries to disprove the claims of astrology, and no one has ever succeeded. Therefore, we must conclude that the claims of astrology are true. |
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| Teams of scientists attempted over several decades to detect the existence of the luminiferous aether, and all failed to do so. Therefore luminiferous aether does not exist. |
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Term
| No one as ever seen Mr. Andrews drink a glass of wine, beer, or any other alcoholic beverage. Probably Mr. Andrews is a nondrinker. |
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Term
| Members of the Jury, you have heard the prosecution present its case against the defendant. Nothing, however, has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore, under the law, the defendant is not guilty. |
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Term
| After only one year the alternator went out in Mr. O'Grady's new Chevrolet. Mrs. Dodson's Oldsmobile developed a transmission problem after six months. The obvious conclusion is that cars made by General Motors are just a pile of junk these days. |
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| Ten Arab fundamentalists hijacked planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York City. The message is clear. Arabs are nothing but a pack of religious fanatics prone to violence. |
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| Ten milligrams of substance Z was fed to four mice, and within two minutes all four went into shock and died. Probably substance Z, in this amount is fatal to mice in general. |
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Term
| One hundred thousand voters from Orange County, California, were (not randomly) surveyed on their choice for governor, and 68 percent said they intend to vote for the Republican candidate. Clearly the Republican candidate will be elected. |
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Definition
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Term
| During the past two months, every time that the cheerleaders have worn blue ribbons in their hair, the basketball team has been defeated. Therefore, to prevent defeats in the future, the cheerleaders should get rid of those blue ribbons. |
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Definition
| False Cause - Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc |
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Term
| Successful business executives are paid salaries in excess of $100,000. Therefore, the best way to ensure that Ferguson will become a successful executive is to raise his salary to at least $100,000. |
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Definition
| False Cause - Non Causa Pro Causa |
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Term
| There are more laws on the books today than ever before, and more crimes are being committed than ever before. Therefore, to reduce crimes we must eliminate the laws. |
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Definition
| False Cause - Non Causa Pro Causa |
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Term
| The quality of education our grade schools and high schools has been declining for years. Clearly, our teachers just aren't doing their jobs these days. |
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Definition
| False Cause - Oversimplified |
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Term
| Today, all of us can look forward to a longer life span than our parents and grandparents. Obviously we owe our thanks to the millions of dedicated doctors who expend every effort to ensure our health. |
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Definition
| False Cause - Oversimplified |
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Term
| The quality of education our grade schools and high schools has been declining for years. Clearly, our teachers just aren't doing their jobs these days. |
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Definition
| False Cause - Oversimplified |
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Term
| A fair coin was flipped five times in a row, and each time it came up head. Therefore it is extremely likely that it will come up tails on the next flip. |
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Definition
| False Cause - Gamblers Fallacy |
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Term
| Immediate steps should be taken to outlaw pornography once and for all. The continued manufacture and sale of pornographic material will almost certainly lead to an increase in sex-related crimes such as rape and incest. This i turn will gradually erode the moral fabric of society and result in an increase in crimes of all sorts. Eventually a complete disintegration of law and order will occur, leading in the to the total collapse of civilization. |
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Definition
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| Attempts to outlaw pornography threaten basic civil rights an should be summarily abandoned. If pornography is outlawed, censorship of newspapers and news magazines is only a short step away. After that there will be censorship of textbooks, political speeches, and the content of lectures delivered by university professors. Complete mind control by the central government will be the inevitable result. |
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| Harper's new car is bright blue, has leather upholster, and gets excellent gas mileage. Crowley's car is also bright blue and has leather upholstery. Therefore, it probably gets excellent gas mileage, too. |
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Definition
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Term
| The flow of electricity through a wire is similar to the flow of water through a pipe. Obviously a large-diameter pipe will carry a greater flow of water than a pipe of small diameter. Therefore, a large-diameter wire should carry a greater flow of electricity than a small diameter wire. |
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| The flow of electricity through a wire is similar to the flow of water through a pipe. When water runs downhill through a pipe, the pressure at the bottom of the hill is greater than it is at the top. Thus, when electricity flows downhill through a wire the voltage should be greater at the bottom of the hill than at the top. |
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Term
| Murder is morally wrong. This being the case, it follows that abortion is morally wrong. |
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Definition
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Term
| Of course humans and apes evolved from common ancestors. Just look how similar they are. |
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| It is obvious that the poor in this country should be given handouts from the government. After all, these people earn less than the average citizen. |
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Term
| Clearly, terminally ill patients have a right to doctor assisted suicide. After all, many of these people are unable to commit suicide by themselves. |
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Term
| The world in which we live displays an amazing degree organization. Obviously this world was created by an intelligent God. |
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Term
| Capital punishment is justified for the crimes of murder and kidnapping because it is quite legitimate and appropriate and that someone be put to death for having committed such hateful and inhuman acts. |
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Term
| Anyone who preaches revolution has a vision of the future for the simple reason that if a person has no vision of the future he could not possibly preach revolution. |
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Term
| Ford Motor Company clearly produces the finest cars in the united States. We know they produce the finest cars because they have the best design engineers. This is true because hey can afford to pay them more than any other manufacturers. Obviously they can afford to pay them more because they produce the finest cars in the United States. |
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| No dogs are cats. Therefore, no cats are dogs. |
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| London is in England and Paris is in France. Therefore, Paris is in France and London is in England. |
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Term
| Have you stopped cheating on exams? |
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Definition
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| Where did you hide the pot you were smoking? |
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| Have you stopped beating your wife yet? |
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| How long must I put up with your snotty behavior? |
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| On April 9, did you see the defendant shoot the deceased? |
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| Either you let me attend the Dixie Chicks concert or I'll be miserable for the rest of my life. I know that you don't want me to be miserable for the rest of my life, so it follows that you'll let me attend the concert. |
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| Either you use Ultra Guard deodorant or you risk the chance of perspiration odor. Surely you don't want to risk the chance of perspiration odor. Therefore you will want to use Ultra Guard deodorant. |
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| Either you bu only American made products or you don't deserve to be called a loyal American. Yesterday you bought a new Toyota. Therefore you don't deserve to be called an American. |
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Definition
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| Either Seattle is in Washington, or its in Oregon. Seattle is not in Oregon. Therefore Seattle is in Washington. |
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Definition
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| Most dogs are friendly and pose no threat to people who pet them. Therefore, it would be safe to pet the little dog that is approaching us now. |
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Definition
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Term
| The ad for Kentucky Fried Chicken says, "Buy a bucket of Chicken and have a barrel of fun!" Therefore if we buy a bucket of chicken, we will be guaranteed to have lots of fun. |
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Definition
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Term
| During the past sixty years, Poland has enjoyed a rather low standard of living. Therefore, Poland will probably have a low standard of living for the next sixty years. |
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Definition
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Term
| Some triangles are obtuse. Whater is obtuse is ignorant. Therefore, some triangles are ignorant. |
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Term
| Any law can be repealed by the legislative authority. But the law of gravity is a law. Therefore, the law of gravity ca be repealed by the legislative authority. |
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Definition
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Term
| We have a duty to do what is right. We have a right to speak out in defense of the innocent. Therefore we have a duty to speak out in defense of the innocent. |
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Definition
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Term
| A mouse is an animal. Therefore, a large mouse is a large animal. |
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Term
| The tour guide said that standing in Greenwich Village, the empire State building could easily be seen. It follows that the Empire State Building is in Greenwich Village. |
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| John told Henrey that he had made a mistake. It follows that John has at least the courage to admit his own mistakes. |
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| Professor Johnson said that he will give a lecture about heart failure in the biology lecture hall. It must be the case that a number of heart failures have occurred there recently. |
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Term
| Mrs. Hart stated in her will, " I leave my 500-carat diamond necklace and my pet dog to Alice and Theresa." Therefore, we conclude that Alice gets the necklace and Theresa gets the dog. |
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| Mr. James signed a contract that reads, "in exchange for painting my house, I promise to pay David $5000 and give him my new Cadillac only if he finishes the job by May 1st." Therefore since David did not finish the job until May 10, it follows that he did not the $5000 or the Cadillac. |
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| Maria likes anchovies. She also likes ice cream. Therefore it is certain that she would like anchovy ice cream. |
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| Each player on this basketball team is an excellent athlete. Therefore the team as a whole is excellent. |
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| Each atom in this teacup is invisible. Therefore this teacup is invisible. |
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| Sodium and chlorine, the atomic components of sale, are both deadly poisons. Therefore, salt is a deadly poison. |
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Definition
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| Every atom in this teacup has mass. Therefore the teacup as a whole has mass. |
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| Every component in this picket fence is white. Therefore, the whole fence is white. |
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| Less gasoline is consumed by a car than a truck. Therefore less gasoline is consumed in the United States by cars than by trucks. |
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| Salt is a nonpoisonous compound. Therefore, its component elements, sodium and chlorine are nonpoisonous. |
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| This jigsaw puzzle,when assembled, is circular in shape. Therefore each piece of the jigsaw puzzle is circular in shape. |
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| This teacup has mass. Therefore, the atoms that compose this teacup have mass. |
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| This field up poppies is uniformly orange. Therefore, the individual poppies are orange. |
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| Stanly Steamers have almost disappeared. This car is a Stanly Steamer. Therefore, it has almost disappeared. |
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| The average American family has 2.5 children. The Jones family is an average American family. Therefore, the Jones family has 2.5 children. |
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