LRB Workbook page 54 #8

[Zarie Blackburn]

We have received the following question from a student:

on page 54 on the statement negation drill. . .

8. You cannot enter unless you pay admission.

I thought the If...then version of this was:

If you can enter, then you payed admission.

. . . since unless modifies the necessary condition and the sufficient is negated.

Do you simply negate the necessary condition alone to "not necessarily"?

An instructor will respond below. Thank you!

[Adam Tyson]

That's correct! To negate any conditional statement, just say that the alleged necessary condition isn't actually necessary. You don't need to pay admission! And your handling of "unless" was exactly right.

Another way to think about negating conditional statements is to use some form of "even if." For example, "even if you don't pay admission, you could enter."

Good work!