LET’S TRY ONE
The workshop rule says, “A visitor may use the cutting station only if the safety briefing has been completed.” The rule does not say that completing the briefing guarantees a turn.
Which statement follows from the rule?
Anyone permitted to use the station must have completed the briefing.
“Only if” makes the briefing a necessary condition for permitted use. The final sentence explicitly rules out treating it as a guarantee.
Learning steps & teaching tips
Interpret the direction and limits of conditional statements without assuming their converses.
- Identify the stated condition and the outcome it concerns.
- Decide whether the wording supplies a requirement, a guarantee, or both.
- Reject a choice that reverses the condition or promises more than the text.
Try it together
Write one “if” rule and one “only if” rule for a fictional game. Explain which direction each rule supports.
Track the direction of the condition. A requirement for an outcome does not automatically guarantee that outcome; a sufficient condition need not be the only route.