Statements and conclusions
Separate the information given from assumptions, opinions, and outside knowledge.
Evidence boundary#
Reasoning questions often ask what follows from a short statement, not what is generally likely. Use only the supplied evidence.
If “Every registered participant received a code,” it follows that a registered participant named in the statement received a code. It does not follow that everyone who received a code was registered.
Necessary versus possible#
A conclusion is necessary when it must be true. A possible conclusion can be true without contradicting the statement, but the statement may not prove it.
Test with alternatives#
Imagine two different situations that satisfy the statement. If the proposed conclusion fails in one, it is not necessary.
Watch quantifiers#
Words such as all, some, none, only, at least, and exactly control strength. “Some” means at least one, not all. “Only A are B” means all B are A.
Common mistakes#
Do not import personal knowledge or treat correlation as causation. Do not strengthen “may” into “will” or “many” into “all.”
Final check#
Restate the evidence precisely, underline its quantifiers, and search for a counterexample. Accept only the conclusion that survives every permitted case.
Key points
- Treat the statement as the complete evidence for the question.
- Necessary conclusions must hold in every allowed case.
- Possibility is weaker than certainty.
- A plausible real-world claim may still not follow logically.