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 second fastest?
Cleo is slower than Ivy.
Nora is faster than Ivy.
Finn is faster than Milo.
Cleo is faster than Finn.
- A: Milo
- B: Ivy (the answer)
- C: Nora
- D: Finn
- E: Cleo
Why: Put them in order from fastest to slowest: Nora, Ivy, Cleo, Finn, Milo. So the answer is Ivy.
Your turn
Your turn 1 of 3
If both statements are true, what can you conclude?
If something is a drell, then it is loud.
The object in the box is a drell.
Your turn 2 of 3
These are made-up words. If both statements are true, which must also be true?
All trells are fleeks.
All fleeks are blips.
Your turn 3 of 3
In a secret code, MINT is written as PLQW. How is JAM 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