Logic clues
Strategy card
Valid reasoning follows the form, not the topic.
- Step 1: Translate statements into a simple form (If P then Q).
- Step 2: Know the valid moves: P → Q and P gives Q; P → Q and not Q gives not P.
- Step 3: Watch for traps: Q does not prove P; not P does not prove not Q.
- Step 4: Ignore whether the made-up facts sound real; just follow the logic.
Tip: Swapping in nonsense words helps you focus on the form.
Worked example
Who is the heaviest?
Ana is lighter than Jay.
Hugo is lighter than Milo.
Hugo is heavier than Nora.
Nora is heavier than Jay.
- A: Nora
- B: Ana
- C: Milo (the answer)
- D: Hugo
- E: Jay
Why: Put them in order from heaviest to lightest: Milo, Hugo, Nora, Jay, Ana. So the answer is Milo.
Your turn
Your turn 1 of 3
If both statements are true, what can you conclude?
If something is a glorp, then it is tiny.
Card 7 is tiny.
Your turn 2 of 3
If both statements are true, what can you conclude?
If something is a wump, then it is tiny.
The mystery thing is tiny.
Your turn 3 of 3
In a secret code, PEN is written as NCL. How is MAP written in the same code?
Keep practicing
Grown-ups: Spot "if-then" reasoning in ads and the news together. Parent guide
Next lesson: Reading charts and tables