Translating Compound Propositions

English to Symbols Example

Translating Compound
Propositions  Determine the major connective –  It is raining if and only if the ground is
commas will help you. wet and the sky is dark.
 Each component simple proposition  It is a bi-conditional. Put ↔ under “if and only
translate to a letter, p, q, or r. if.”
 Underline each simple proposition and label it Under “It is raining” put p.
Going from English to symbols and with a letter or negation of the letter.


 Under “the ground is wet” put q.

visa versa.  Locate each connective and replace it with  Under “the sky is dark” put r.
the symbol for that connective.
 Put under the connective “and”.
 Use parentheses or other signs of
enclosure to group what comes before  Use parentheses to enclose the conjunction.
and after the major connective.  Translation: p ↔ (q r)

Text Chapter 3 – Section 1 No in-class assignment problem In-class Assignment 10 - 1

Another Example Going the Other Way Determine the truth value
 If 2 > 4 and 7 is even, then 13 is  p: Today is Thursday; q: 8 is not even;  If p is true, q and r are false determine
r: Logic makes sense
odd or 6 + 3 = 8.  Translate into English: ~[p → (q↔ ~r)]
the truth value of ~(p ~q) → (~r q).
 Basic connective is “if – then”  Start with the phrase “It is not true that” to negate the  Under each letter put “T” or “F”.
symbol → whole proposition.  Negate q and r.
 p: 2 > 4; q: 7 is even; ~r: 13 is not even; and  Start translating → with the word “if”  Determine the truth value of the conjunction and then
s: 6 + 3 = 8  Write p and follow it with the word “then” negate it.
 Translate the “and” the “or”.  A comma is needed to because of the parentheses.  Determine the truth value of the disjunction.
 Write q followed by “if and only if” Determine the truth value of the conditional.
 Use parentheses to enclose the 
 Write the negation of r.
conjunction and also the disjunction.
 Translation: It is not true that, if today is Thursday then,
 Translation: (p q) →(~r s) 8 is not even if and only if logic does not make sense.

In-class Assignment 10 - 2 In-class Assignment 10 - 3 In-class Assignment 10 - 4

1
Translating Compound Propositions

Determining the Truth Value

~(p ~q) → (~r q)
T ~F ~F F
~(T T) → (T F)
~T → T
F → T
T

In-class Assignment 10 - 5