Two students can sit the same logic paper for entirely different reasons, and the book has to serve both. A Concise Introduction to Logic, 13th Edition by Patrick J. Hurley and Lori Watson is used by philosophy majors who will go on to formal semantics and by students taking a single reasoning course to satisfy a requirement, and its assessments split accordingly: informal reasoning and fallacies on one side, symbolic apparatus on the other. Whichever half you find natural, the marks are usually lost in the other one — the formally minded student stumbles on fallacy nuance, and the essay-trained student stumbles on distribution and quantifiers.
Why this test bank helps
The half you are weaker at is precisely the half you will avoid when revising alone. Working through a full set of questions in the book’s own order forces both, and every item is followed by a written rationale that supplies the underlying rule — which term is distributed in which standard form, why an inference from a universal to a particular carries an existential assumption, which rule of replacement licenses a step. That explanation is what converts a wrong answer into something you can actually correct.
What’s inside
- Questions following the book’s chapter sequence so that each week of reading has a matching practice set.
- Mixed formats — multiple choice, true/false, symbolization and short passage-analysis items.
- A written rationale under every question, stating the rule and why each rejected option fails it.
- Balanced coverage of the informal and formal halves of the book rather than concentration on either.
- One organized PDF, downloadable the moment checkout completes.
Topics covered
- Basic concepts — recognizing arguments, premises and conclusions, and distinguishing arguments from explanations.
- Deduction, induction and validity — soundness, strength, cogency and the counterexample method.
- Informal fallacies — relevance, weak induction, presumption, ambiguity and illicit transference.
- Language, meaning and definition — cognitive and emotive meaning, vagueness, ambiguity and definitional criteria.
- Categorical propositions — the four standard forms, distribution, the traditional and modern squares of opposition.
- Categorical syllogisms — mood and figure, Venn testing, and the five rules with their formal fallacies.
- Propositional logic — symbolizing compound statements, truth tables, truth-functional validity and indirect truth tables.
- Natural deduction and predicate logic — rules of implication and replacement, conditional and indirect proof, and quantifier rules.
Who it’s for
Undergraduates in an introductory logic or critical thinking course using this edition, including philosophy majors building toward more advanced formal work and students meeting symbolic notation for the first time.
How to use it (the right way)
Alternate the two halves deliberately — a block of fallacy items, then a block of syllogism or truth-table items — so that neither skill goes stale. On formal questions, work the test out on paper before looking at the options. This is a study aid. Use it in line with your institution’s academic-integrity policy — as preparation and self-testing, never as a replacement for the coursework and never as material taken into a graded assessment.
Sample question (shows the format — your download contains the full set)
Q. Consider the syllogism: All M are P. Some S are not M. Therefore some S are not P. Which rule does it violate?
- A. Undistributed middle
- B. Illicit major
- C. Illicit minor
- D. Exclusive premises
Answer: B. The major term P is distributed in the conclusion, because a negative particular proposition distributes its predicate, but it is undistributed in the premise All M are P, where it is the predicate of a universal affirmative. That is illicit process of the major term. A is not violated, since M is distributed as the subject of the first premise. C would require the minor term S to be distributed in the conclusion, which it is not. D would require both premises to be negative, and only the second one is.
Edition & format
- Matches: A Concise Introduction to Logic, 13th Edition, by Patrick J. Hurley and Lori Watson (ISBN 9781305958098).
- Format: Digital PDF, delivered instantly after checkout.
- Access: Lifetime — re-download from your account whenever you need it.
Chapter numbering and exercise sets differ between the 13th Edition and its neighbours. Please confirm the edition and ISBN above match the book your course assigned before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the current edition? This set is prepared for the 13th Edition, ISBN 9781305958098. Later editions are listed separately, so use the one named on your syllabus.
How do I receive it? Instantly. The download appears on your confirmation page and in your account as soon as checkout completes.
Do all the questions include rationales? Yes, every item, with the governing rule stated and the near-miss option explained.
Is using a test bank allowed? As a study aid it is a normal practice resource. Follow your institution’s academic-integrity policy and never take it into a graded assessment.
More study material for this subject is in History & Humanities Test Banks.
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