Verbal Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning on the Irish Logical Thinking exam measures how precisely you read a short passage and classify statements as True, False, or Cannot Say. The passage is the only evidence. Your general knowledge, however plausible, is irrelevant.
Core rules
- True means the passage directly supports the statement, not merely that it is likely.
- False means the passage directly contradicts the statement.
- Cannot Say means the passage neither supports nor contradicts it; you would need extra information.
- Treat quantifiers carefully: all, some, no, most, only. "Some" does not mean "all", and "not all" does not mean "none".
- Paraphrase is allowed; inference beyond the text is not.
Worked example
Passage: "The council approved the new cycle lane, but only after removing two parking spaces. Local businesses opposed the plan, although the chamber of commerce did not comment."
Statement: "The chamber of commerce opposed the cycle lane." The passage says local businesses opposed it, but says nothing about the chamber of commerce's position. It neither supports nor contradicts the statement. Answer: Cannot Say.
Traps
- Importing real-world assumptions: if the passage does not state it, it is not evidence.
- Confusing "opposed" with "did not comment": silence is not opposition.
- Reversing cause and effect or swapping who did what.
- Over-reading "only after": it sets a condition, not a motive.