Logical Reasoning

Converse

The statement formed by swapping the antecedent and consequent of an implication.

EnglishConverse
Bahasa MelayuAkas
中文逆命题

How it is used

The converse of "if a number ends in 0, then it is divisible by 5" is "if a number is divisible by 5, then it ends in 0". The original is true, but the converse is false, since 15 is divisible by 5 yet ends in 5.

Where it shows up in SPM

Converse comes right after implication in Form 4. Paper 1 asks "which is the converse of ...".

Paper 2 asks you to write the converse of a given implication and sometimes to decide whether that converse is true, often using a counter-example.

Don't confuse it with

ImplicationThe implication is the original "if p, then q"; the converse is the swapped "if q, then p", and the two do not always share the same truth value.
NegationA converse swaps the two parts of an implication, while a negation instead reverses a statement's truth value with "not".

Open the chapter: Logical Reasoning →

Frequently asked questions

How do I write the converse of an implication?

Swap the antecedent and consequent. The converse of "if x = 2, then x² = 4" is "if x² = 4, then x = 2".

Notice the original is true but the converse is false, since x could also be −2.

Is the converse always true when the implication is true?

No. A true implication can have a false converse.

"If a shape is a square, then it is a rectangle" is true, but its converse "if a shape is a rectangle, then it is a square" is false. Always test the converse separately.

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