SYLLOGISM
 Syllogism is an important section on logical reasoning and hence its
comprehension needs more than normal attention. It is a very interesting
topic where the logical thinking and the decision making skills are highly
tested.
 The term syllogism means inference or conclusion drawn from the
statements. The question of syllogism can be solved with the help of Venn
diagrams.

 In syllogism, a statement of certain relation between two or more terms is

analogous to a sentence is grammar.

The proposition consists of three parts, namely subject, predicate and copula.
1. Subject: The subject is about which something is said.
2. Predicate: The predicate is the part of the proposition denoting which is
affirmed or denied about the subject.
3. Copula: The copula is that part of the proposition which denotes the relation
between the subject and the predicate.
Example:
Consider the proposition ‘Man is intelligent’.
Here the information is given about the man.
So ‘Man’ is the subject.
‘Intelligent’ is the quality affirmed for this subject. So it is the predicate.
‘Is’ denotes the relation between the subject and the predicate. So, it is the
copula.

Structure of the Question

 Syllogism questions always starts with the directions to answer.

 In each question we could f in d two segments i.e., statements and
conclusions.
 Always consider the information provided in the statements is true.
 Check whether the conclusions follow the statements and answer as per
the direction.
Reap to Remember
Four possible forms of statements or conclusions:
1. All A is B.
2. Some A is B.
3. Some A are not B.
4. No A is B.

Applying the Venn diagram method will be very easy to solve any question.
Go through the following basic representations of the statements.
Possible Diagrams:
CONCEPT 1 – All A is B
The Diagram is,

The Possible conclusions are,

All A is B.
Some A is B.
Some B is A.
CONCEPT 2 - Some A is B.
The Diagram for Some A is B is

The possible conclusions are,

1) Some A is B
2) Some B is A
CONCEPT 3 – Some A is B and Some B is C
The Diagram is,

Now the Possible Conclusions are,

Between A and B Between B and C

Some A is B Some B is C
Some B is A Some C is B

There is no DIRECT CONNECTION between A and C. So it is not possible to

derive any conclusion between A and C.
CONCEPT 4 – All A is B and All B is C

The Conclusions are,

Between A and B Between B and C Between A and C

All A is B. All B is C. All A is C.
Some A is B. Some B is C. Some A is C.
Some B is A. Some C is B. Some C is A.
Concept 5 – Some A is B, All B is C.

The possible conclusions are,

Between A and B Between B and C Between A and C

Some A is B All B is C Some A is C
Some B is A Some B is C Some C is A
Some C is B
Concept 6 – All A is B and Some B is C

The possible conclusions are,

Between A and B Between B and C
All A is B Some B is C
Some A is B Some C is B
Some B is A

There is no DIRECT CONNECTION between A and C. So, it is not possible to

derive any conclusion between A and C.
Concept 7 – All B is A and All C is A

The Possible Conclusions are,

Between A and B Between A and C
All B is A All C is A
Some B is A Some C is A
Some A is B Some A is C

There is no DIRECT CONNECTION between B and C. So it is not possible to

derive any conclusion between B and C.
Concept 8 – No A is B

The Possible Conclusions are,

No A is B
No B is A
Some A is not B
Some B is not A
Concept 9 – All A is B and No B is C

The Possible Conclusions are,

Between A and B Between B and C Between A and C

All A is B No B is C No A is C
Some A is B No C is B Some A is Not C
Some B is A Some B is not C
Some C is not B
Concept 10 – All A is B and No A is C

The Possible Conclusions are,

Between A and B Between A and C Between B and C

All A is B No A is C Some B is not C
Some A is B No C is A
Some B is A Some A is not C
Some C is not A
Concept 11 – Some A is B; No B is C

The Possible Conclusions are,

Between A and B Between B and C Between A and C

Some A is B No B is C Some A is not C
Some B is A No C is B
Some B is not C
Some C is not B
Concept 11 – Some A is B; No B is C

The Possible Conclusions are,

Between A and B Between B and C Between A and C

Some A is B No B is C Some A is not C
Some B is A No C is B
Some B is not C
Some C is not B
Concept 12 – Some A is B; No A is C

The Possible Conclusions are,

Between A and B Between A and C Between B and C

Some A is B No A is C Some B is not C
Some B is A No C is A
Some A is not C
Some C is not A
Practice questions:

Directions for Q1 to Q8:

In each question below are two statements followed by conclusions numbered

1 and 2. Read all the conclusions and then decide which of the given
conclusions logically follows from the statements.

Give answer:
(A) if only (1) conclusion follows
(B) if only (2) conclusion follows
(C) if either (1) or (2) follows
(D) if neither (1) nor (2) follows and
(E) if both (1) and (2) follow.
1. Statements:
No file is an elephant.
All elephants are caps.
Conclusions:
I. Some caps are elephants.
II. Some files are caps.

Ans: A

2. Statements:
Some books are birds.
Some birds are fingers.
Conclusions:
I. Some fingers are books.
II . Some fingers are birds.

Ans: B
3. Statements:
All books are shrubs.
All trees are shrubs.
Conclusions:
I . Some shrubs are books.
II . Some shrubs are trees.

Ans: E

4. Statements:
All nails are ears.
Some ears are eyes.
Conclusions:
I . All ears are nails.
II . Some eyes are nails.

Ans: D
5. Statements:
Some apartments have electricity.
Some boats have electricity.
Conclusions:
A. Some apartments have boats
B. Some boats have apartments
C. No boats have apartments
D. None of the above

Ans: D
6. Statements:
Some AB is CD.
No CD is EF.
Conclusions:
A. Some AB is No EF
B. Some EF is AB
C. No AB is EF
D. None of the above

Ans: A
7. Statements:
No *** are ###.
Some ^^^^ are ###.
Conclusions:
A. No ^^^^ are ***
B. Some *** are no ^^^^
C. Some ^^^^ are no ***
D. None of the above

Ans: C
8. Statements:
Some cars are four-wheelers.
All cars are tricycles.
Conclusions:
A. No tricycles are four-wheelers
B. All four-wheelers are tricycles
C. Some tricycles are four-wheelers
D. None of the above

Ans: C
9. Statements:
All smart are dumb.
Some bad are smart.
Conclusions:
A. All dumb are bad.
B. Some dumb are bad.
C. No bad are dumb.
D. Some bad are not dumb.

Ans: B
10. Statements:
All cities have houses.
All lands have cities.
Conclusions:
A. All houses have lands
B. All lands have houses
C. Not all houses have lands
D. None of the above

Ans: B
11. Statements :
All kitchens have closets.
All closets have shelves.
Conclusions:
A. Some kitchens have not shelves
B. All shelves have kitchens
C. All kitchens have shelves
D. None of the above

Ans: C
12. Statements :
All ambulances are life savers.
No ambulances are bumper cars.
Conclusions:
A. No life savers are bumper cars
B. No bumper cars are life savers
C. Some life savers are not bumper cars
D. None of the above

Ans: C
13. Statements:
All dogs are brown.
All pit bulls are brown.
Conclusions:
A. Some pit bulls are dogs
B. Some pit bulls are not dogs
C. All pit bulls are dogs
D. None of the above

Ans: D
14. Statements:
Some books are no reference books.
All books are encyclopedias.
Conclusions:
A. Some reference books are not encyclopedias
B. No reference books are encyclopedias
C. All reference books are encyclopedias
D. None of the above

Ans: A
15. Statements:
Some vans are cars.
Some cars are roads.
Conclusions:
I. Some roads are vans.
II . Some cars are vans.
III. No van is road.
IV. Some roads are cars.

(a) Only II and III follow

(b) Only I and IV follow
(c) Only II and IV follow
(d) None of these

Ans: C
16. Statements:
All outlaws are meek.
Some meek (men) are clever.
All clever (men) are foolish.
Conclusions:
I. Some foolish (men) are outlaws.
II. No foolish (man) is outlaw.
III. Some meek (men) are foolish.
IV. All clever (men) are meek

(a) None of these

(b) Only I or II follows
(c) Only III and IV follow
(d) Only I or II and III follow

Ans: D
17. Statements:
Some papers are balls.
Ball is not spherical.
Conclusions:
I . Some papers are spherical.
II. Some balls are spherical.
III . Some papers are not spherical.
IV . Some balls are papers.

(a) Only III follows

(b) Only IV follows
(c) Either III or IV follows
(d) Only III and IV follow

Ans: D
18. Statements:
Some fowls are insects.
All fowls are butterflies.
All insects are snakes.
Conclusions:
I. Some snakes are fowls.
II. Some butterflies are insects.
III. Some snakes are butterflies.
IV. Some insects are fowls.

(a) All follow

(b) Only IV follows
(c) Either I or III follows
(d) None of these

Ans: A
19. Statements:
1. All cats are bulls
2. Some bulls are dogs
Conclusions:
I. All bulls are cats
II. Some cats are dogs
III. No cats are dogs
IV. Some bulls are cats

a) Only IV follows
b) Only III follows
c) Only II follows
d) Only IV and II follow
e) IV and either II or III follow

Ans: E
20.

If “Some kings are soldiers,

no soldier is revolutionary”,
Which of the following conclusions is logical?

(a) Some soldiers are not revolutionary.

(b) All revolutionaries are soldiers.
(c) All soldiers are kings.
(d) None of these

Ans: D
Directions for Q21 and Q22:

Each question has a set of four statements. Each statement has three
segments. Choose the alternative where the third segment in the statement
can be logically deduced using both the preceding two, but not just from one of
them.
21.

A. No cowboys laugh. Some who laugh are sphinxes. Some sphinxes are not
cowboys.
B. All ghosts are florescent. Some ghosts do not sing. Some singers are not
florescent.
C. Cricketers indulge in swearing. Those who swear are hanged. Some who
are hanged are not cricketers.
D. Some crazy people are pianists. All crazy people are whistlers. Some
whistlers are pianists.

(a)A and B
(b)C only
(c)A and D
(d)D only

Ans: C
22.

A. Dinosaurs are prehistoric creatures. Water-buffaloes are not dinosaurs.

Water-buffaloes are not prehistoric creatures.
B. All politicians are frank. No frank people are crocodiles. No crocodiles are
politicians.
C. No diamond is quartz. No opal is quartz. Diamonds are opals.
D. All monkeys like bananas. Some GI Joes like bananas. Some GI Joes are
monkeys.

(a)C only
(b)B only
(c)A and D
(d)B and C

Ans: B