Question

For each of these sentences, determine whether an inclusive or, or an exclusive or, is intended. Explain your answer.

a) Experience with C++ or Java is required.
b) Lunch includes soup or salad.
c) To enter the country you need a passport or a voter registration card.
d) Publish or perish.

Short answer

a) Inclusive or

b) Inclusive or

c) Inclusive or

d) Exclusive or

Step-by-step solution

Exclusive or and inclusive or

“Exclusive or” means “either this or that, but not both of them.”

“Inclusive or” means “either this, or that, or both of them.”

Inclusive or is intended in a)

Experience with C++ or Java is required.

Both C++ and Java or both can be there.

Hence, inclusive or is intended

Inclusive or is intended in b)

Lunch includes soup or salad.

Lunch can include both soup and salad.

Hence, inclusive or is intended.

Inclusive or is intended in c)

To enter the country you need a passport or a voter registration card.

One can have both passport and voter registration card.

Hence, inclusive or is intended

Truth value for d)

We write given statement as,

Publish or perish.

You can’t have both publish and perish together.

Hence, exclusive or is intended.