Exercises for "Options"

1. Which of the following pairs is contradictory?

rich and poor

left and right

present and absent

early and late

2. Which of the following pairs is contrary?

good and bad

good and not good

good and not bad

good and ready

3. Which of the following pairs is not contradictory?

literate and illiterate

perfect and imperfect

explored and unexplored

well-known and unknown

4. Which of the following pairs is not contrary?

tall and short

young and restless

happy and sad

here and there

5. Physicists assume that, in any given system,if there is no light, then it is dark; and it has to be one or the other. In physics, then, what are "light" and "dark"?

Contradictions

Contraries

Choices

1. Which of the following pairs is contradictory?

You answered:

rich and poor

The rule for contradictory pairs is that both cannot be true, and both cannot be false, at the same time. Though someone cannot be both rich and poor at once, he or she can be neither. So, "rich and poor" are contraries.

1. Which of the following pairs is contradictory?

You answered:

left and right

The rule for contradictory pairs is that both cannot be true, and both cannot be false, at the same time. If you had in mind "arms" or "legs" when you answered right and left, you might have a point. For humans, at least, an arm must be either right or left, and cannot be both. But in the more general sense, "right and left" are contraries, because there are other options like "middle."

1. Which of the following pairs is contradictory?

You answered:

present and absent

Correct!

1. Which of the following pairs is contradictory?

You answered:

early and late

The rule for contradictory pairs is that both cannot be true, and both cannot be false, at the same time. Early and late are contraries. A bus cannot be simultaneously "early and late," but it can be neither of these, by being "on time."

2. Which of the following pairs is contrary?

You answered:

good and bad

Correct!

Good and bad are contraries, because both cannot be true, but both can be false. The last movie you saw cannot have been both good and bad at the same time, but it might have been neither by being "average"--as in "one thumb up," or "two stars."

2. Which of the following pairs is contrary?

You answered:

good and not good

Good and not good are contradictory: everything must be one or the other, because "not good" includes everything that is not "good."

2. Which of the following pairs is contrary?

You answered:

good and not bad

Good and not bad are open choices. Since "not bad" includes "good," something (for example, a movie) can be both.

2. Which of the following pairs is contrary?

You answered:

good and ready

Good and ready are choices: you can be one, or the other, or both, or neither. In contraries and contradictories, "both" is impossible.

3. Which of the following pairs is not contradictory?

You answered:

literate and illiterate

Literate and illiterate are contradictories. The suffix here, "il-," means "not," and so this is equivalent to "A and not-A," the paradigm of a contradiction.

3. Which of the following pairs is not contradictory?

You answered:

perfect and imperfect

Perfect and imperfect are contradictories. The suffix here, "im-," means "not," and so this is equivalent to "A and not-A," the paradigm of a contradiction.

3. Which of the following pairs is not contradictory?

You answered:

explored and unexplored

explored and unexplored are contradictories. The suffix here, "un-," means "not," and so this is equivalent to "A and not-A," the paradigm of a contradiction.

3. Which of the following pairs is not contradictory?

You answered:

well-known and unknown

Correct!

Well-known and unknown are not contradictory, because someone or something can be neither. I've driven to Santa Barbara before, so the way is not unknown to me, but it was years ago, so I can't say the way is well-known, either. These are contraries, since both cannot be true.

4. Which of the following pairs is not contrary?

You answered:

tall and short

Tall and short are contraries. Both cannot be true at the same time, but they both might be false. Sujata, for example, may be of average height.

4. Which of the following pairs is not contrary?

You answered:

young and restless

Correct!

Young and restless are not contraries, because a person could be both and, in contraries, both cannot be true.

4. Which of the following pairs is not contrary?

You answered:

happy and sad

Happy and sad are contraries. Both cannot be true at the same time, but they both might be false. Sujata, for example, may have an even disposition, neither happy nor sad.

4. Which of the following pairs is not contrary?

You answered:

here and there

Here and there are contraries. Both cannot be true at the same time, but they both might be false. Sujata, for example, may be at home, which is neither "here" nor "there" but somewhere else.

5. Physicists assume that, in any given system,if there is no light, then it is dark; and it has to be one or the other. In physics, then, what are "light" and "dark"?

You answered:

Contradictions

Correct!

5. Physicists assume that, in any given system,if there is no light, then it is dark; and it has to be one or the other. In physics, then, what are "light" and "dark"?

You answered:

Contraries

If light and dark were contraries, both could be false. But you were told, "it has to be one or the other," meaning that both cannot be simultaneously false.

5. Physicists assume that, in any given system,if there is no light, then it is dark; and it has to be one or the other. In physics, then, what are "light" and "dark"?

You answered:

Choices

If light and dark were simply choices, both could be false and both could be true. But you were told, "it has to be one or the other," meaning that both cannot be simultaneously true, and both cannot be simultaneously false.