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Sometimes the difference between these two types of reasoning is explained in a different way.
It's occasionally said that deductive reasoning moves from the general to the particular (e.g. All Xs are Y, A is an X, therefore A is Y), whereas inductive reasoning moves from the particular to the general (A is an X that's Y, B is an X that's Y, C is an X that's Y... therefore all Xs are Ys).
This isn't the best way to explain the difference, because there are instances of deductive reasoning that go from the particular to general, and cases of inductive reasoning that goes from the general to the particular.
See if you can spot an example of each in the practice exercise.
This material has been developed independently of the International Baccalaureate, which in no way endorses it.
© Austhink 2013. Rationale Exercises version 0.1, Jan-13
