Critical Thinking

Mid-term review

Lecture Notes © 2008 McGraw Hill Higher 1

Education
MID-TERM EXAM

• Date: to be updated
• Room: to be confirmed
• Importance:
• Closed-book exam (1 A4 written note)
• No other documents, phones, laptops, smart watch
• Duration:70 - 90 minutes
• Scope: chapter 1, 2, 3, 9 and 10.
• Structure: 20 multiple-choice questions (40 pts), 3
Venn diagram questions (30 pts), and 3 truth table
questions (30 pts).

Lecture Notes © 2008 McGraw Hill Higher 2

Education
Truth value of basic forms

p q ~p p&q pvq pq

T T F T T T

T F F F T F

F T T F T T

F F T F F T

3
Truth tables with 3 variables
(set up)
p q r Notice:
Third column, one T, one F (repeat)
---- ---- ----
Second column, two T’s, Two F’s
T T T (repeat)
T T F First column, four T’s, four F’s

T F T
T F F
F T T
F T F
F F T
F F F 4
Summary

p q ~p p&q pvq pq p q r

---- ---- ----
T T F T T T T T T
T F F F T F T T F
T F T
F T T F T T T F F
F F T F F T F T T
F T F
F F T
5

F F F
Argument: p, ~q & r, p & r
p q r p* (~q & r)* (p & r) (c)
--- --- --- ----------- ---------------- ------------
T T T T fFt tTt
T T F T fFf tFf
T F T T tTt tTt  Valid
T F F T tFf tFf
because the
only row
F T T F fFt fFt with true
premises
F T F F fFf fFf also has a
true
F F T F tTt fFt conclusion.
F F F F tFf fFf 6
Be careful with negations of
disjunctions
 Frank is angry or Hank is tired.  a v t
 Frank is not angry or Hank is tired.  ~a v t
 Frank is not angry or Hank is not tired.  ~a v ~t
 It’s not the case that Frank is angry or Hank is tired.
 ~(a v t)
 Neither is Frank angry nor is Hank tired.  ~(a v t)
These last two are the same as “Frank is not angry and
Hank is not tired.”
(~a & ~t)
7
Proof: ~(pvq)  ~p&~q
p q ~(pvq) ~p&~q

--- --- -------- ---------

T T F t fFf

T F F t fFt

F T F t tFf

F F T f tTt

  8

look they match

Whole statement negations
 Not only can individual statements be negated:
~p
 Compound statements can be too: ~(p&q)
 Since “p&q” means “Both p and q are true”
 “~(p&q)” means “It is false that both p and q are
true.”

9
Whole statement negations
 But don’t distribute (like in math):
 ~(p&q) is not the same as (~p & ~q)
 Why?
 ~(p&q) means they are not both true (at
least one is false)
 (~p & ~q) means they are both false

10
Proof: ~(p&q) ≠ (~p & ~q)
p q ~p ~q p&q ~ (p&q) ~p & ~q
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- -----
T T F F T F F
T F F T F T F
F T T F F T F
F F T T F T T

11
Be careful with negation and
conditionals
 If it did not rain, then the game was played.
 ~rp
 If it did not rain, then the game was not
played.
 ~r  ~p
 It is not the case that, if it rained then the
game was played.
 ~(rp)
 These all have different meanings.
12
Be careful with negation and
conditionals
p q pq ~pq ~p~q ~(pq)

--- --- ----- -------- --------- ----------

T T T fTt fTf F t

T F F fTf fTt T f

F T T tTt tFf F t

F F T tFf tTt F t

13
Examples

1. Tina is tall.
2. Sarah is not tall, but Missy is tall.
3. So, Tina is tall, and Missy is tall.

1. p
2. ~ q & r
3.  p & r
14
Examples

15
Examples

16
Examples

1. Frank is angry or Hank is tired.

2. It’s not the case that Hank is tired and Larry is lonely.
3. So, Hank is tired.

17
Examples

1. Frank is angry or Hank is tired.

2. It’s not the case that Hank is tired and Larry is lonely.
3. So, Hank is tired.

The symbolic form is:

1. p v q
2. ~(q & r)
3.  q
18
Examples

19
Examples

1. If the Democrat loses the Senate race, the Republicans

will have a majority in the Senate.
2. If the Republicans have a majority in the Senate, the
Senate will vote down the new bill.
3. It is not the case that the Senate will vote down the
new bill or the Democrat will lose the Senate race.
4. So, it is not the case that if the Democrat does not lose,
the Senate will not vote down the new bill.
20
Examples
1. d → r
2. r → s
3. ~(s v d)
4.  ~(~d → ~s)

21
Examples

22
Argument:
~(pq), (q v r)  (qp)
p q r ~(pq)* (q v r)* (qp) (C)
--- --- --- ---------- ------- -------
T T T F t tTt tTt
T T F F t tTf tTt
T F T T f fTt fTt
 Valid
because the
T F F T f fFf fTt only row with
true premises
F T T F t tTt tFf also has a
true
F T F F t tTf tFf conclusion
F F T F t fTt fTf
F F F F t fFf fTf
23
 EXERCISE 9.2
Translate the following only sentences into
standard categorical form.
 Only doctors are psychiatrists.

All psychiatrists are doctors.

 Translate the following only sentences into
standard categorical form.
 Only fools rush in. (Elvis).

 All persons that rush in are fools.

 Translate the following only sentences into
standard categorical form.
 Something is a blue jay only if it’s a bird.

 All blue jays are birds.

 Translate the following only sentences into
standard categorical form.
 Only if something is a Ford is it a Mustang.
 All Mustangs are Fords.
 Translate the following only sentences into
standard categorical form.
 Sign: Employees’ restroom only.

 All persons that may use the restroom are

employees (of this establishment).
 Translate the following only sentences into
standard categorical form.
 The only persons eligible for the honor society
are persons with a 3.8 GPA or higher.
 All eligible for the honor society are persons
with a 3.8 GPA or higher.
 Translate the following only sentences into
standard categorical form.
 Pitchers and catchers are the only players due
to report on Monday.
 All players due to report on Monday are pitchers
or catchers.
 Translate the following only sentences into
standard categorical form.
 No one is allowed in the hall without a pass.
 All persons allowed in the hall are persons with
passes.
 Translate the following only sentences into
standard categorical form.
 9. None except senior citizens are eligible for
the discount.

 All persons eligible for the discount are senior

citizens.
 Translate the following only sentences into
standard categorical form.
 Teachers alone may use the Teacher’s Lounge.
 All persons that may use the Teacher's Lounge
are teachers.
 Translate the following sentences into standard-
form categorical statements.
 1. Maples are trees.
 All maples are trees.
 Translate the following sentences into standard-
form categorical statements.
 Roses are red.
 Some roses are red.
 Translate the following sentences into
standard-form categorical statements.
 3. Some bats are nocturnal.
 Some bats are nocturnal animals.
 Translate the following sentences into
standard-form categorical statements.
 Each insect is an animal.

 All insects are animals.

 Translate the following sentences into
standard-form categorical statements.
 Not all desserts are fattening.
 Some desserts are foods that are not
fattening.

 Translate the following sentences into
standard-form categorical statements.
 If anything is an igloo, then it is made of ice.
 All igloos are structures made of ice.
 Translate the following sentences into
standard-form categorical statements.
 All that glitters is not gold.

 Some things that glitter are not gold things.

 Translate the following sentences into
standard-form categorical statements.
 Cheaters never prosper.
 No cheaters are persons that prosper.
 Translate the following sentences into
standard-form categorical statements.
 Every cloud has a silver lining.

 All clouds are things that have silver linings.

 Translate the following sentences into
standard-form categorical statements.
 You have to swing the bat to hit the ball.
 All times when you hit the ball are times
when you swing the bat.
 Translate the following sentences into
standard-form categorical statements.
 World War II began in 1939.

All events that are identical with World War II

are events that began in 1939.
 Translate the following sentences into
standard-form categorical statements.
 If something is not a vehicle, then it is not a
car.
 All cars are vehicles.
 Translate the following sentences into
standard-form categorical statements.
 There are birds that cannot fly.

 Some birds are animals that cannot fly.

 Translate the following sentences into
standard-form categorical statements.
 Almost all Wexford College students
graduate in four years.
 Some Wessex College students are
students that graduate in four years.
 Translate the following sentences into
standard-form categorical statements.
 Not every sheep is white.
 Some sheep are not white sheep.