1.
Core Reasoning Skills
Analytical Reasoning
● It means using your brain to break a problem into small parts and solve it step-by-step
using logic.
● It helps us to:
1. Think clearly.
2. Find hidden patterns.
3. Make a right decision.
● Example: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 (The hidden pattern is +2).
2. Types of Reasoning: Detailed Breakdown
This section expands on the different ways to form a logical conclusion.
Deductive Reasoning
● Concept: It means using general rules to find a specific answer. It starts from a big
truth or rule and goes to a small conclusion.
● Process: You start from a known rule or fact that must be true and then find a conclusion
that must also be true.
● Example 1:
○ Rule (General): All dogs have 4 legs.
○ Fact (Specific): Tommy is a dog.
○ Conclusion (Specific): Tommy has 4 legs.
● Example 2:
○ Rule (General): If it rains, we use an umbrella.
○ Fact (Specific): Today it is raining.
○ Conclusion (Specific): So we will use an umbrella.
● Note: You used the rule & a fact to get a sure answer.
Inductive Reasoning
● Concept: It means looking at small examples or patterns and then guessing a general
rule from them.
● It is the opposite of deductive reasoning.
● Example:
○ You see, Apple 1 is red.
○ Apple 2 is red.
○ Apple 3 is red.
○ You guess (General): "May be all apples are red."
● Note: The conclusion is a guess and is not always 100% true.
Abductive Reasoning
● Concept: It means looking at clues and making the best possible guess about what
happened. We use clues to make a "smart guess."
● Example 1:
○ You come home & see your shoes are wet.
○ It's cloudy outside.
○ You guess (Best Explanation): "Hmm... Maybe it rained today."
● Example 2:
○ You opened the fridge, the pizza is gone.
○ You see your brother with a napkin.
○ You guess (Best Explanation): "He must have eaten it."
Comparison of Reasoning Types
Table 1: | Feature | Inductive | Deductive | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Starts from | Small example | Big
rule | | Ends with | A general guess | A sure conclusion | | Type | Not always 100% true |
Always true |
Table 2: | Feature | Deductive | Inductive | Abductive | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Starts From | A rule
| An example | Clues | | Ends With | A sure answer | A guessed rule | A best guess explanation
|
3. Types of Arguments and Statements
Two-premise Argument
● Definition: A logical argument that consists of two statements (premises) that are used to
support a conclusion. The premises provide the evidence or reasons, and the conclusion
is the claim being made based on that evidence.
● Example:
○ Premise 1: All men are mortal.
○ Premise 2: Socrates is a man.
○ Conclusion: Therefore, Socrates is mortal.
Syllogism
● Definition: A form of logical reasoning where a conclusion is derived from two or more
premises. It consists of three parts: a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion.
The premises are statements that are assumed to be true.
● Method to Solve (Venn Diagrams):
1. Draw diagrams for each premise: Represent each premise with a circle or
overlapping circles. 2. Combine the diagrams: Merge the individual diagrams to
show the relationship between all the terms. 3. Check the conclusion: Examine
the combined diagram to see if the conclusion is necessarily true. If the conclusion
is represented in the diagram, it is valid.
Statement and Assumptions
● Definition: A type of reasoning problem where a statement is given, followed by a few
assumptions. An assumption is something that is taken for granted or supposed to be
true without proof.
● Task: To determine which of the given assumptions is implicitly embedded in the
statement.
● Example:
○ Statement: "A notice in a school reads: 'All students must pay their fees by the
10th of the month.'"
○ Assumption 1: There are some students who may not pay their fees on time. (This
is a valid assumption; otherwise, there would be no need for the notice).
○ Assumption 2: The school needs the fees to run its operations. (This is also a valid
assumption, as it provides the logical basis for why the fees must be collected).