📘 DECK 2 — IF / THEN LANGUAGE (INSTANT RECOGNITION)

Card 1

Q: Which words ALWAYS signal the trigger (sufficient condition)?
A: If, each, every, any, all, whenever, as long as.

Card 2

Q: Which words ALWAYS signal the result (necessary condition)?
A: Only, only if, must, require, required, essential, depend on, is essential, is required.

Card 3

Q: What is the golden rule for the word “only”?
A: “Only” ALWAYS points to the necessary condition.

Card 4

Q: How do you translate “A unless B”?
A: If not B, then A.

Card 5

Q: What LSAT words function the same as “unless”?
A: Except, without, otherwise.

Card 6

Q: How do you translate “A except B”?
A: If not B, then A.

Card 7

Q: How do you translate “A otherwise”?
A: If not the stated condition, then A.

Card 8

Q: What is the contrapositive of “If A then B”?
A: If not B, then not A.

Card 9

Q: What is the negation of “If A then B”?
A: A AND not B.

Card 10

Q: Why is negation NOT the same as the contrapositive?
A: Negation contradicts the rule; the contrapositive preserves it.

Card 11

Q: What does “as long as” mean in conditional logic?
A: It signals the trigger (sufficient condition).

Card 12

Q: What does “had” sometimes signal on the LSAT?
A: A past-tense conditional or hypothetical relationship.

Card 13

Q: What do “always” and “invariably” signal?
A: Absolute conditional language.

Card 14

Q: What do “must be” and “depend on” indicate?
A: Necessary condition language.