Unless, without, none, never — the words that hide conditionals in plain sight
These words negate the sufficient condition. Try these first.
"You can enter the concert unless you are wearing flip flops."
Which of the following can we 100% support?
"Unless" → identify the sufficient, negate it. "Enter" is the sufficient. Negate it: Cannot enter → wearing flip flops. If you can't get in, it must be because of the flip flops. (B) goes in the wrong direction.
"Without a map, hikers get lost."
Which of the following can we 100% support?
"Without" → identify the sufficient, negate it. "Map" is the sufficient. Negate it: No map → hikers get lost. (B) goes in the wrong direction.
"The park is open except during storms."
Which of the following can we 100% support?
"Except" → identify the sufficient, negate it. "Open" is the sufficient. Negate it: Not open → storm. (B) goes in the wrong direction.
"She won't apologize unless she is wrong."
Which of the following can we 100% support?
"Unless" → identify the sufficient, negate it. "Won't apologize" is the sufficient. Negate it: Apologizes → she is wrong. (B) goes in the wrong direction — being wrong doesn't guarantee an apology.
Video: Unless / Without / Except — coming soon
These words negate the necessary condition. Try these first.
"No elephant makes a good pet."
Which of the following can we 100% support?
"No" → identify the necessary, negate it. "Good pet" is the necessary. Negate it: Elephant → NOT a good pet. If it's an elephant, it does not make a good pet. (B) says the opposite.
"Children cannot drive."
Which of the following can we 100% support?
"Cannot" → identify the necessary, negate it. "Drive" is the necessary. Negate it: Child → canNOT drive. (B) says the opposite.
"None of the graduates have an incomplete thesis."
Which of the following can we 100% support?
"None" → identify the necessary, negate it. "Incomplete thesis" is the necessary. Negate it: Graduate → NOT incomplete thesis. All graduates completed their thesis. (B) says the opposite.
"Maria never raises her hand in class."
Which of the following can we 100% support?
"Never" → identify the necessary, negate it. Same pattern as no/none. "Raises her hand" is the necessary. Negate it: Maria → does NOT raise her hand. (B) says the opposite.
Video: None / Never / Cannot — coming soon
When two negation indicators appear together, they cancel each other out. Try these.
"You cannot enter unless you have a ticket."
Which of the following can we 100% support?
"Cannot" + "unless" → the negations cancel. Enter → have a ticket. If you entered, you must have a ticket. (A) goes in the wrong direction.
"You cannot drive without a license."
Which of the following can we 100% support?
"Cannot" + "without" → the negations cancel. Drive → have a license. If you drove, you must have a license. (B) goes in the wrong direction — having a license doesn't mean you drove.
"The machine cannot operate without electricity."
Which of the following can we 100% support?
"Cannot" + "without" → the negations cancel. Machine operates → electricity. If the machine is running, there must be electricity. (B) goes in the wrong direction.
"You cannot pass the class unless you submit the final paper."
Which of the following can we 100% support?
"Cannot" + "unless" → the negations cancel. Pass → submitted final paper. If you passed, you must have submitted it. (B) goes in the wrong direction — submitting doesn't guarantee passing.
Video: Combined Negations — coming soon
Quick reference for complex conditional indicators. Bookmark this page and come back to it while practicing.
Identify the sufficient condition, then negate it.
Example: "A unless B"
A is sufficient, so negate it:
NOT A → B
Identify the necessary condition, then negate it.
Example: "No A is B"
B is necessary, so negate it:
A → NOT B
Two negation indicators cancel each other out. Read it as a straightforward conditional.
Example: "Cannot A without B"
A → B