Exam 3: Cost Volume Profit Analysis and Pricing Decisions

Classify the following: "Aqua, the color, is blue-green."

Determine whether the following claim is too vague in the context that is stated or implied: From a gardening book: "Horse manure is many times more beneficial to your garden than that from cows."

Exercise: In a paper written for another class, find a sentence or passage that is too vague for its context.

Determine whether the following claim is too vague in the context that is stated or implied: "Well, let's see. To get to the Woodward Mall, go down this street a couple of blocks, and turn right. Go through several stoplights, turn left, and go just a short way. You can't miss it."

Determine whether the following claim is best classified as semantically ambiguous (and whether this contains grouping ambiguities), syntactically ambiguous, or free from ambiguity: The wizard made a pig of himself.

Classify the following: "A derailleur is that gizmo that shifts gears on a bike."

Determine whether the following claim is too vague in the context that is stated or implied: It seems clear that within the next ten years they'll have produced a machine that can really think.

Criticize the following claim based on the material from Chapter 3 of the text. "Is evolution a fact?"

Exercise: Find an example of an ambiguous claim in a paper you have written for another class.

Arrange the lettered items below in order of increasingly favorable emotive meaning. Instructor and/or students may want to fuss about some of our rankings in these problems. We've said (a) = (b) when (a) and (b) seem equally favorable to us. In my view, Mrs. Tuttle might be described as a. innocent. b. childlike. c. guileless. d. simple. e. artless. f. naive.

For the term, "ballet," invent a persuasive definition (either positive or negative). Remember, persuasive definitions can be analytical definitions, definitions by example, or definitions by synonym.

It is rarely, if ever, appropriate to insist that a claim be totally free from vagueness.

Evaluate the following claim, paying particular attention to problems of clarity. Note that claims may also present problems of knowability, though we don't address knowability per se in this chapter. All of the last three years have been extremely dry.

The word "centaur" can be defined by example.

Using a name or description of an item that you can't point to, provide a definition by example for "reasoning." If you have difficulty doing so, try to identify the source of the trouble.

Criticize the following claim based on the material from Chapter 3 of the text. WAR DIMS HOPE FOR PEACE-headline sent from Bangs Tapscott

Definitions by example, definitions by synonym, and analytical definitions can all be used to evoke an attitude about the thing defined.

Which item in the following set of claims has the most negative emotive meaning? a. The Raiders gave the ball game away. b. All the breaks went against the Raiders. c. The Raiders couldn't buy a piece of good luck. d. The Raiders were having a bad day.

Criticize the following claim based on the material from Chapter 3 of the text. Place the box next to the refrigerator before you open it.

Define "proud" by synonyms, using one synonym that carries a complimentary meaning and one that carries a derogatory emotive meaning.