英語のロジックは難しいことではありません。よくテストの課題にもなりますので、基本の演繹的思考を理解し、レッスンなどで復習してみましょう。
Using logic in English is easy, but often we forget to use it. This is a quick guide to a common type of logic that will help you convince people of your opinion and score more highly in speaking tests like the G.B.C. that require a logical answer.
Let's look at traditional deductive logic. That means we start with a general premise, then draw a logical conclusion based on it.
Here is perhaps the most commonly used example:
Major premise: All humans are mortal.
Minor premise: Socrates is human.
Conclusion: Socrates is mortal.
You can also follow this line of reasoning for many other topics:
Safe cities are good to live in.
Tokyo is a safe city.
Therefore, Tokyo is a good city to live in.
It's useful to think about logic aside from message. Think about it like math: A = C, and B = A, so B = C. Put another way:
- Safe = good,
- and Tokyo = safe
- so Tokyo = good.
Deductive reasoning is the technical name for this type of logic. It starts with the major premise, then adds a minor premise that defines your argument, and then reaches the correct conclusion based on those two premises.
This is simple, but a lot of students miss it when they are speaking. For instance:
My hometown is a great place to live.
There are a lot of great restaurants and the people are friendly.
That example is not a logical argument. It's missing a linking step.
Here is that argument, done logically:
My hometown is a great place to live.
I think good food makes for a good place.
My hometown has some really good food.
Therefore, my hometown is great.
You can see, if we write it like math, it works: (a) good food = (b) a good place; and (c) my hometown = (a) good food; then (c) my hometown = (b) a good place.
Although that was a logical answer, it's a bit weird in spoken English. It needs detailed evidence. Here's the same logic with some detail, in spoken English:
I'm from Portland, Oregon. It's a great place.
First of all, we can all agree good food is important. We eat every day, hopefully three times a day, and we should enjoy that time! So I think good food makes for a good place.
Portland has the best food. There are so many great restaurants. The ingredients are local and fresh, and the flavors are a mix of different cultures, like Mexican, Chinese, American, and more. It's all done so well. You have to go and taste it for yourself.
So, since good food makes for a good place, and Portland has the best food—obviously, it's a good place to live!
If you want to convince people of your opinion and get a high score in your next G.B.C. test, then practice making your logic plain and clear.
Try this now. Here's a question to help you start:
Where would you recommend a tourist visit in your country?
Think about what is important for travelers. Think about what makes for a good place. Then use deductive reasoning in your answer.
This topic ties into The English Farm's Speaking Test Strategies course's lessons on reasoning: lesson 4 adding reasoning, lesson 13 layering reasoning, and lesson 18 roll-on effects.
If you have any questions or issues with this topic, you can discuss them with your teacher in your next English class.
