Exercise

Supply the missing premise or premises needed in order to make the following arguments valid. Try to make the premises as plausible as possible while making the argument valid (which is to apply the principle of charity).
  1. Ed rides horses. Therefore, Ed is a cowboy.
  2. Tom was driving over the speed limit. Therefore, Tom was doing something wrong.
  3. If it is raining then the ground is wet. Therefore, the ground must be wet.
  4. All elves drink Guinness, which is why Olaf drinks Guinness.
  5. Mark didn't invite me to homecoming. Instead, he invited his friend Alexia. So he must like Alexia more than me.
  6. The watch must be broken because every time I have looked at it, the hands have been in the same place.
  7. Olaf drank too much Guinness and fell out of his second story apartment window. Therefore, drinking too much Guinness caused Olaf to injure himself.
  8. Mark jumped into the air. Therefore, Mark landed back on the ground.
  9. In 2009 in the United States, the net worth of the median white household was $113,149 a year, whereas the net worth of the median black household was $5,677. Therefore, as of 2009, the United States was still a racist nation.
  10. The temperature of the water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, the water is boiling.
  11. Capital punishment sometimes takes innocent lives, such as the lives of individuals who were later found to be not guilty. Therefore, we should not allow capital punishment.
  12. Allowing immigrants to migrate to the U.S. will take working class jobs away from working class folks. Therefore, we should not allow immigrants to migrate to the U.S.
  13. Prostitution is a fair economic exchange between two consenting adults. Therefore, prostitution should be allowed.
  14. Colleges are more interested in making money off of their football athletes than in educating them. Therefore, college football ought to be banned.
  15. Edward received an F in college Algebra. Therefore, Edward should have studied more.