Logic grids: ordering clues
A clue like “Ben adopted earlier than Ada” rules out the ends. Ben can’t be last and Ada can’t be first. Exact gaps rule out even more.
Clue: Ben adopted earlier than Ada.
How it works
Some categories have an order: years, ages, prices, places in line. An ordering clue compares two people on that scale.
“Ben adopted earlier than Ada” says three things. Ben and Ada are different people. Ben isn’t the latest, because someone came after him. Ada isn’t the earliest. Cross out those squares right away.
A clue with an exact gap, like “the poodle owner adopted one year after Ben”, is stronger. Ben can only have a year that has another year one step above it, and the poodle owner can only have a year one step below it. As the grid fills, the gap often pins both down.
Same clue, other words
Ordering clues come in many forms: older and younger, cheaper and dearer, before and after, heavier and lighter. They all work the same way. Find the scale, then ask which end each person can’t be.
Come back to ordering clues after every new ●. Each time one side’s options shrink, the other side’s usually shrink too.
Worth memorizing
“A before B”: A isn’t last, B isn’t first.
And A and B are different people.
An exact gap only fits some pairs.
Cross out every year with no partner the right distance away.
Revisit ordering clues after every ●.
Practice
0 of 4 rightCora adopted earlier than Ada. Which year can’t be Cora’s?
The corgi owner adopted two years after Ben. Which year did Ben adopt in?
Ada adopted in 2020. The poodle owner adopted one year after Ada. Which year goes with the poodle?
Ben adopted earlier than Ada. Which of these must be true?