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Reading technique · Beginner

Set Complement

Reading a 'one of these' clue as a statement about everyone outside the named set, not just the set itself.

Why it works

A clue naming a short list of candidates is really eliminating every subject outside that list. The list itself resolves later; the outside eliminations are available now.

Trigger

A clue naming a set of candidates: 'one of A, B, or C', a gender filter, or a named attribute.

Common mistake

Waiting for the set to narrow to one name before marking anything, instead of eliminating everyone outside it straight away.

Example

'One of Mina, Theo, or Rae drives the van' excludes everyone else in that category immediately.

Put it to work

See this technique on a live board, or go back and browse the rest of the library.