Statement and Arguments
About 7 min · Reasoning Ability · English
Time worked out from the lesson's 541 words at 150 words a minute, plus a minute for each question.
Statement and Arguments is a critical reasoning topic that tests your ability to evaluate whether a given argument logically supports or opposes a statement. In HSSC CET, these questions assess your analytical thinking—can you distinguish between a relevant, logical argument and one that is emotional, vague, or off-topic?
Key ideas
- Statement: A proposal, suggestion, or course of action presented for consideration (e.g., "Should schools ban mobile phones?").
- Argument: A reason given either in favour (FOR) or against (AGAINST) the statement. Each argument must be evaluated independently.
- Strong Argument: An argument that is (1) directly related to the statement, (2) based on facts or universal truths, and (3) addresses the practical consequences or core issue.
- Weak Argument: An argument that is (1) vague or ambiguous, (2) based on emotions, assumptions, or personal opinions, (3) uses extreme words like "always," "never," "all," "none," or (4) is irrelevant to the statement.
- Relevance Test: Ask yourself—"Does this argument directly address what the statement is proposing?" If yes, proceed to check strength.
Watch out for
- Judging by personal opinion → Always evaluate objectively. Even if you disagree with an argument, check if it's logically sound and relevant.
- Ignoring extreme words → Words like "all," "never," "definitely," "everyone" usually make an argument weak. Train yourself to spot them immediately.
- Confusing relevance with correctness → An argument can be factually correct but irrelevant to the statement. If the statement is about "banning cars" and the argument discusses "bicycles are healthy," it's weak due to irrelevance.
Quick reference
- Strong = Relevant + Factual + Specific + No extreme words
- Weak = Vague OR Emotional OR Irrelevant OR Uses "all/never/always"
- Each argument is evaluated independently—don't let one influence the other
- Appeals to tradition, popularity, or emotion without logic = Weak
- Practical consequences (benefits/harms) stated factually = Strong
Check yourself: 3 questions
1. Statement: Should the government ban the sale of junk food in school canteens? Arguments: I. Yes, junk food causes obesity and health problems in children and the government should protect their health. II. No, children have the right to choose what they want to eat and banning junk food infringes on their freedom. Which argument(s) is/are strong?
2. Statement: Should private companies be allowed to operate public transport buses in cities? Arguments: I. Yes, private companies can provide better service and efficiency due to competition and profit motive. II. No, private companies will only operate on profitable routes and neglect routes serving poor areas. Which argument(s) is/are strong?
3. Statement: Should the retirement age for government employees be increased from 60 to 65 years? Arguments: I. Yes, people are living longer and healthier lives now, and experienced employees can contribute more to the organization. II. No, increasing retirement age will block job opportunities for young people who are waiting for employment. III. No, older employees may not be able to adapt to new technologies and modern work methods. Which argument(s) is/are strong?
This lesson is cut from the topic's note, not rewritten. Fact-checked on 18 Oct 2026: an AI-assisted check of this note against cited sources; the errors it found were corrected that day. Some errors may remain. The questions are from Shishya's validated question bank.
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