Logic is the course where reading the chapter twice changes almost nothing. The Power of Logic, 5th Edition by Howard Snyder teaches a set of procedures — translating English into symbols, testing an argument for validity, building a proof line by line — and procedures are learned only by running them. Students who follow every worked example in class still stall on the exam, because the exam hands them an argument nobody has already parsed for them.
Why this test bank helps
Getting the answer is half the value; the other half is knowing why the remaining options fail. In logic that second half is everything, since a plausible-looking argument can be invalid for one precise reason, and naming that reason is the skill being graded. Every item here is followed by a written rationale that identifies the move being tested — why a counterexample defeats the argument, which rule of inference licenses a line, why a translation misplaces the scope of a quantifier — so a wrong answer becomes a lesson rather than a mark.
What’s inside
- Chapter-by-chapter coverage following the structure of the fifth edition.
- Multiple-choice, true or false, and short symbolic items in the formats instructors use.
- A written rationale for every question, not just a letter.
- Heavy emphasis on translation, validity testing and proof construction, where students lose the most points.
- Instant PDF download, searchable by chapter as you revise.
Topics covered
- Arguments and non-arguments — separating premises and conclusions from explanation and description.
- Validity and soundness — why a valid argument can have a false conclusion and an invalid one a true conclusion.
- Informal fallacies — naming the specific defect rather than calling an argument bad.
- Categorical logic — standard-form statements, the square of opposition, Venn diagrams.
- Syllogisms — mood, figure, and the rules that make a syllogism fail.
- Propositional logic — truth tables, truth-functional connectives, and testing for validity.
- Natural deduction — implicational rules, replacement rules and conditional proof.
- Predicate logic — quantifiers, instantiation and generalization.
Who it’s for
Undergraduates in an introductory or critical-thinking logic course that assigns this text, philosophy majors preparing for a midterm on categorical or propositional logic, and returning students who need the symbolic sections rebuilt from the ground up.
How to use it (the right way)
Read the chapter and work its exercises first, then attempt a block of questions closed-book so you find out what you can do unaided. Mark every item you guessed, including the ones you got right, and read the rationale on all of them. In logic the patterns repeat: the same three translation errors and the same two proof habits account for most lost marks, and they surface quickly when you review your own misses. This is a study aid, to be used in line with your institution’s academic-integrity policy, and never as a substitute for the coursework itself.
Sample question (shows the format — your download contains the full set)
Q. Consider the argument: “If the bill passes, then funding increases. Funding increased. Therefore the bill passed.” What is the correct evaluation?
- A. Valid by modus ponens.
- B. Valid by modus tollens.
- C. Invalid; it commits the fallacy of affirming the consequent.
- D. Invalid; it commits the fallacy of denying the antecedent.
Answer: C. The argument affirms the consequent of the conditional and then infers the antecedent, which is invalid: funding could have risen for another reason entirely, so the premises can be true while the conclusion is false. A is wrong because modus ponens affirms the antecedent and concludes the consequent, the reverse of what happens here. B is wrong because modus tollens denies the consequent and concludes the denial of the antecedent, and nothing is denied in these premises. D names the other classic conditional fallacy, but denying the antecedent would need a premise saying the bill did not pass.
Edition & format
- Matches: The Power of Logic, 5th Edition, by Howard Snyder (ISBN 9780078038198).
- Format: Digital PDF, delivered instantly after checkout.
- Access: Lifetime — re-download from your account whenever you need it.
Chapter order and exercise numbering shift between editions. 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 against the 5th Edition specifically. If your syllabus names another edition, choose that listing instead, because chapter coverage moves between editions.
How do I receive it? The download appears on your order confirmation page and in your account as soon as checkout completes. Nothing is shipped.
Do all the questions include rationales? Yes. Every item carries a written explanation of the reasoning, which in a logic course is the part that actually teaches.
Is using a test bank allowed? As a study aid it works like any other practice resource. Follow your institution’s academic-integrity policy, and never take the material into a graded assessment.
More study material is in History, Religion & Humanities Test Banks.
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