Tips on cracking Reasoning Questions on Statements and Arguments

1. 3 TIPS on cracking Reasoning Questions on Statements and Arguments

2. Classification of Arguments Strong Argument: Strong arguments are those which are directly related to the statement, do not make extra assumptions, are valid and hold true. Weak Argument: Weak arguments are those which not related to the statement directly, may make unjustifiable assumptions, are false, vague or invalid. Example: Statement: Are nuclear families better than joint families? Arguments: No. Joint families ensure security and also reduce the burden of work. Yes. Nuclear families ensure greater freedom. With so many people around in a joint family, there is more security. Also, work is shared. Again, in nuclear families, there are lesser number of people and so lesser responsibilities and more freedom. Both arguments are Strong.

3. Tip #1: Arguments with unjustifiable assumptions are weak Statement: Should the education at all levels be offered only in vernacular medium? Arguments: (I) Yes. This is the only way to enhance performance of the students. (II) No. This will severely affect acquiring knowledge for want of good text books in vernacular medium. A. Only argument I is strong B. Only argument II is strong C. Either I or II is strong D. Neither I nor II is strong E. Both I and II are strong Solution: In (I) it is assumed that offering education in vernacular is the only way to enhance performance of the students. But, this assumption is not justifiable. Hence (I) is weak. Argument (II) is strong since offering books in English or other languages would open up more avenues for Students. So the correct answer is B. Statement: Should girls learn arts like judo and karate? Arguments: (I) Yes. It will enable them to defend themselves from rogues and ruffians. (II) No. They will lose their feminine grace. Solution: Learning martial arts is necessary for girls for self defense. So, argument (I) is strong. In argument (II), it is assumed without justification that martial arts will impact feminine grace. Thus, the answer will be A.

4. Tip #2: If an argument is not scientific or contradicts your general knowledge or goes against research by reputed organizations, it is weak Statement:Should books by only deserving authors be published? Arguments: (I) Yes. It will save a lot of paper which is in short supply. (II) No. It is not possible to draw a line between the deserving and the undeserving. A. Only argument I is strong B. Only argument II is strong C. Either I or II is strong D. Neither I nor II is strong E. Both I and II are strong Solution: Argument (I) says that paper is in short supply. But, this is not something we have ever heard in the news. It is contradictory to our general knowledge and is therefore weak. Argument (II) is a strong argument because establishing committees to control the publishing of books would be against freedom of speech. Such committees would also be partial and have their own agendas. So the correct answer is B.

5. Tip #3: Arguments that are illogical and unrelated to the statement are weak. Statement: Should all the school teachers be debarred from giving private tuitions? Arguments: No. The needy students will be deprived of the expertise of these teachers. Yes. This is an injustice to the unemployed educated people who can earn their living by giving tuitions. Yes. Only then the quality of teaching in schools will improve. Yes. Now salary of these teachers is reasonable. A. Only I and III are strong B. Only I, II and III are strong C .Only III and IV are strong D. Only II, III and IV are strong E. None of these Solution: Argument (I) is weak because needy students will not be deprived of their education in schools, if those teachers also offer private tuitions on the side. Argument (II) is weak because other unemployed individuals can also hold private tuitions if they are capable of doing so. Argument (III) is strong. There could be a tendency for teachers to reduce their efforts in schools to encourage more students to join their private tuition classes. Argument (IV) is weak. By what standards can anyone decide to stop a worker from seeking further employment by deciding that their salary is already reasonable? Thus, the correct answer is E.

6. About Us LearningPundits helps Job Seekers make great CVs, master English Grammar and Vocabulary , ace Aptitude Tests , speak fluently in a Group Discussion and perform well in Interviews. We also conduct weekly online contests on Aptitude and English. Job Seekers can also apply for jobs on LearningPundits. You can read more about Tips on cracking Reasoning Questions on Statements and Arguments.