Logic Master Series · Vol. 1

The Contrapositive
Complete Question Bank

20 Exam-Style Problems · All Difficulty Levels

20Questions
30Minutes
4Levels

📐 Core Concept Reference

Original (Conditional)
P → Q
"If P, then Q" — the base statement
Contrapositive ⟵ KEY
¬Q → ¬P
"If not Q, then not P" — ALWAYS logically equivalent to original
Converse (NOT equivalent)
Q → P
"If Q, then P" — truth value may differ
Inverse (NOT equivalent)
¬P → ¬Q
"If not P, then not Q" — same truth as converse

🔑 Must-Memorize Rules

RULE 1 Contrapositive (¬Q → ¬P) is always logically equivalent to the original (P → Q). They have identical truth values.
RULE 2 Converse (Q → P) and Inverse (¬P → ¬Q) are logically equivalent to each other — but NOT to the original.
RULE 3 Forming the contrapositive: swap P and Q, then negate both. Order matters: swap first, negate second.
RULE 4 Double negation: ¬(¬P) = P. Always simplify double negatives when they appear in contrapositives.
RULE 5 If P → Q is TRUE, then ¬Q → ¬P is TRUE. If P → Q is FALSE (P true, Q false), then ¬Q → ¬P is also FALSE.
PQP→Q (Original)¬Q→¬P (Contrapositive)Q→P (Converse)¬P→¬Q (Inverse)
TTTTTT
TFFFTT
FTTTFF
FFTTTT
Worked Examples

Practice Before the Test

Example 1. Write the contrapositive of: "If it is raining, then I carry an umbrella."
1Identify P: "it is raining"; Q: "I carry an umbrella"
2Swap: Q first, P second → (umbrella) → (raining)
3Negate both: "not umbrella" → "not raining"
✓ Contrapositive: "If I do not carry an umbrella, then it is not raining."
Example 2. Given: "If $x > 5$, then $x > 2$." What is the contrapositive, and is it true?
1P: "$x > 5$", Q: "$x > 2$"
2Contrapositive: ¬Q → ¬P = "If $x \leq 2$, then $x \leq 5$"
3The original is TRUE (anything above 5 is above 2), so the contrapositive is also TRUE.
✓ "If $x \leq 2$, then $x \leq 5$" — TRUE (logically equivalent to original)
Example 3. "If a shape is a square, then it is a rectangle." Which is logically equivalent to this?
(A) If it is a rectangle, then it is a square.   (B) If it is not a rectangle, then it is not a square.
1P = square, Q = rectangle. Contrapositive: ¬Q → ¬P
2(A) is the Converse (Q → P) — NOT equivalent. (B) is ¬Q → ¬P — the Contrapositive.
✓ Answer: (B). The contrapositive is always logically equivalent.

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