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Two Reasoning Questions, One Habit: Ask What Is Really Connected
Reasoning papers contain two small families that look different but reward the same habit. In cause and effect, two statements are given and you decide how they are linked. In statement and arguments, a question such as 'Should X be done?' is followed by arguments, and you decide which are strong. Students lose marks here by going on feeling: an argument sounds good, or two events seem related because they happen together. The method below replaces feeling with two quick tests. For cause and effect, ask 'which event could actually make the other happen?'. For arguments, ask 'does this directly answer the question with a real, important reason?'. Both tests take a few seconds, and the answer options repeat in a fixed pattern, so practice makes these among the fastest marks in the paper.
1. I: Many students of the village skipped school last week. II: A flood washed away the only bridge to the school.
2. I: The government raised petrol prices sharply. II: Bus and taxi fares in the city went up.
3. I: Fishermen in the coastal town stayed ashore today. II: Flights from the coastal town's airport were cancelled today.
4. Statement: Should plastic carry bags be banned? Argument I: Yes, they choke drains and are swallowed by stray animals. Argument II: No, my uncle's shop sells them. Which is strong?
5. Statement: Should the minimum age for a driving licence be raised to 21? Argument I: No, I know many 18-year-olds who drive carefully. Argument II: Yes, because the rule should be changed. Which is strong?
6. Statement: Should government offices shift to digital filing? Argument I: Yes, it saves paper and storage and makes records quick to trace. Argument II: Yes, because files can be searched in seconds and lost-file delays will fall. Which is strong?
7. In statement-and-argument questions, which kind of argument is weak?
8. I: A power cut hit the locality last night. II: Many families in the locality bought new mobile phones this month.