Quantity Statements

[ChicagoJames10]

Hey everyone,

I tried searching the forum before posting this but an error keeps occurring so I apologize if this has been discussed recently. Right now I am studying inference questions that deal with quantity statements. For the most part I understand what each particular word means (some, many, most, etc) but I am having trouble combining quantities that overlap to form an inference. I am going to provide you with a question from my study book that seems like a perfect example of a tricky quantity statement inference and I am hoping maybe some of you could help shed some light on how I should answer these questions.

In the Centerville Botanical Gardens, all tulip trees are older than any maples. A majority, but not all, of the garden's sycamores are older than any of its maples. All the garden's maples are older than any of its dogwoods.

If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true of trees in the Centerville Botanical Gardens?

A - Some dogwoods are as old as the youngest tulip trees
B - Some dogwoods are as old as the youngest sycamores
C - Some sycamores are not as old as the oldest dogwoods
D - Some tulip trees are not as old as the oldest sycamores

How I look at the question (quantity/group/characteristic):

All / TT / Older / M
Majority / S / Older / M
All / M / Older / D

Now, how do I determine which ones I can combine to form a new inference? When I combine two words what will they form? For example, some people like green and all people like shirts - does this then form "most people like green shirts?"

Any help would be appreciated and please feel free to ask me more questions if I have not explained my query well.

Thanks

Jim

[marcus-aurelius]

If I am reading this right, none of them have to be true.  Let's say there is one of every tree, except for sycamores.  There are 3 sycamores.  Then it would break down as suck, from oldest to youngest

T/S/S-M-S/D  (T/S/S could be in any order, S/D could be in either order S-D or D-S)
A cannot be true.  Dogwoods MUST be younger then Tulips
B could be true.  IF the order is D-S then it is true, if it is S-D then it is not.
C could be true once again.  If the order is D-S, then some S are not as old as the oldest D
                                              If the order is S-D, then S are as old (or older) than D
D Could be true.  If the ordeer is S-T-S, then some tulips are not as old as the oldest S.  If the order is T-S-S, then all tulips are as old (or older) than all S.


I'm pretty sure I got that correct.  If not, someone please correct me

[EarlCat]

Are you sure this wasn't an except question?

[marcus-aurelius]

That would make more sense to me.  I triple checked my work and still found no must be trues