Which of the following is an explanation and which is an argument? Identify the main conclusion of each argument or explanation. (Remember if the premise(s) seems to be establishing that the conclusion is true, it is an argument, but if the premise(s) seems to be establishing why the conclusion is true, it is an explanation.)

1. Wanda rode the bus today because her car was in the shop.
2. Since Wanda doesn’t have enough money in her bank account, she has not yet picked up her car from the shop.
3. Either Bob or Henry rode the bus to work today. But it wasn’t Henry because I saw him riding his bike to work. Therefore, it was Bob.
4. It can’t be snowing right now since it only snows when it is 32 degrees or below and right now it is 40 degrees.
5. The reason some people with schizophrenia hear voices in their head is that the cognitive mechanism that monitors their own self-talk is malfunctioning and they attribute their own self-talk to some external source.
6. Fracking should be allowed because, although it does involve some environmental risk, it reduces our dependence on foreign oil and there is much greater harm to the environment due to foreign oil drilling than there is due to fracking.
7. Wanda could not have ridden the bus today because today is a citywide holiday and the bus service is not operating.
8. The Tigers lost their star pitcher due to injury over the weekend, therefore the Tigers will not win their game against the Pirates.
9. No one living in Pompeii could have escaped before the lava from Mt. Vesuvius hit. The reason is simple: the lava was flowing too fast and there was nowhere to go to escape it in time.
10.The reason people’s allergies worsen when they move to Cincinnati is that the pollen count in Cincinnati is higher than almost anywhere else in the surrounding area.


1. Explanation. Conclusion: Wanda rode the bus today.
2. Explanation. Conclusion: Wanda has not picked up her car from the shop.
3. Argument. Conclusion: Bob rode the bus to work today.
4. Argument. Conclusion: It can’t be snowing right now.
5. Explanation. Conclusion: Some people with schizophrenia hear voices in their head.
6. Argument. Conclusion: Fracking should be allowed.
7. Argument. Conclusion: Wanda did not ride the bus today.
8. Argument. Conclusion: The Tigers will not win their game against the Pirates.
9. Argument. Conclusion: No one living in Pompeii could have escaped before the lava from Mt. Vesuvius hit.
10. Explanation: When a person moves to Cincinnati, their allergies worsen.

Philosophy & Belief

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