Reasoning by Analogy

The different kinds of reasoning posted on the instructor's blog are reasoning by analogy, sign reasoning, causal reasoning, reasoning by criteria, reasoning by example, inductive reasoning, and finally deductive reasoning.
The definition of reasoning by analogy according to Epstein is "A comparison becomes reasoning by analogy when it is part of an argument: On one side of the comparison we draw a conclusion, so on the other side we should conclude the same
An example of reasoning by analogy could be "Knowing how to drive is like knowing how to ride a bike, once you learn, you never forget no matter how long it has been since you last drove or rode."
This could be a good argument because the two things being compared are related and are common to most people.
According to the link given on the instructor's blog "Argument by sign asserts that two or more things are so closely related that the presence or absence of one indicates the presence or absence of the other." An example of this could be "It is raining, so there must be clouds in the sky." The two things are very closely related and rain cannot happen without clouds, but this example is somewhat flawed because there can be clouds in the sky without rain. A better example could be "I hear a voice nearby, therefore there is someone else nearby." A voice can only come from another person, like smoke can only come from some kind of flame or fire.
According to the same link, "Argument by cause attempts to establish a cause and effect relationship between two events."For example, sunlight causes heat, therefore heat can be caused by sunlight.
Criteria reasoning are used in logical arguments when a criteria is established and the argument is concluded according to this criteria. For example, a customer walks in the Disney Store and the sales associate asks "how can I help you today?" The customer answers by saying: "Hi, it is my daughter is turning seven this week and I am looking for the perfect gift, her favorite Disney princess is Ariel from the Little Mermaid." The sales associate then says, "Great. If she likes Ariel, then wouldn't she love these new mermaid dolls that swim as soon as the are placed in water?"
Reasoning by example is straight forward and is basically arguing by using examples of similar experiences to convince the audience. For example, my friend wants a to buy a Chihuahua for her four year old daughter, I advise against it by saying "I have a chihuahua and they are great pets for older children, however they are too small and fragile for a small child to play with, mine almost broke one of his tiny paws when he jumped of the couch."
Inductive reasoning is the opposite of deductive reasoning in that inductive arguments have premises that assume the conclusion instead of affirming it based on evidence. The outcome is not guaranteed. For example, a friend of mine said she has never broken a bone in her body since she has been alive, therefore she will never break a bone in her body for the rest of her life. This is inductive because she cannot guarantee what can happen to her in the future.
Deductive reasoning are used in logical arguments where both the premises and the conclusion are plausible. For example, all Toyota Prius' are hybrid cars, my uncle owns a Toyota Prius, therefore my uncle owns a hybrid car.