Multiple choice

Directions: The question is independent of one another.

You are a guest in a friend's house and he has two children, a boy, Jackie, and a girl, Sujata. You know that all statements of one of them is always true and of the other are always false. You ask both of them the way to the neighborhood mall. You get the following replies. Jackie : I do not know the way to the mall. Sujata does not know the way to the mall. Sujata : I do not know the way to the mall and Jackie knows the way to the mall. Based on the above, I can infer that

  1. Jackie speaks the truth

  2. Sujata speaks the truth

  3. Indeterminate

  4. Data Inconsistent

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

If Jackie is the truth-teller, then both statements 'I do not know the way' and 'Sujata does not know the way' are true. This means Sujata is the liar. Her statement 'I do not know the way to the mall' would then be a lie, meaning she DOES know the way. Her second statement 'Jackie knows the way to the mall' would also be a lie, meaning Jackie does NOT know the way. This is logically consistent: Jackie (truth-teller) truthfully says he doesn't know, Sujata (liar) falsely claims she doesn't know, and falsely claims Jackie knows. The alternative where Sujata is truthful leads to contradictions.